Jeers, praise for 18% raise

Not happy with the raise you got this year? Maybe you should go out and get a real job, like lieutenant governor of California.

A state commission has approved 18% raises for 12 elected state officers. The four members of the Board of Equalization, for example, will get a bump from $131,250 to $154,875 annually. The lieutenant governor will now make $154,875. The governor’s salary will be $206,500 (although Gov. Schwarzenegger does not accept a salary).

Critics say the raises are “inappropriate” or “out of whack.” Defenders note that the 12 officials had not received raises in six years and say some of them earn far less than their peers. For example, even at his new salary of $175,500, the state superintendent of public instruction will earn less than the top administrators of 72 school districts in the state. Page B1

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Shiites, Sunnis in raging gunfight

A battle between Sunni and Shiite gunmen in Baghdad turns into an hours-long firefight that draws in American and Iraqi troops and results in a temporary tightening of an already-severe curfew.

The fighting leaves four Shiite militiamen dead, adds a new layer of fear in the capital and highlights concerns that battles between young Sunnis and Shiites portend a civil war. Page A14

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Armstrong denies drug allegations

New allegations have surfaced that cycling champion Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong denied the allegations while under oath and repeated the denial on Friday.

Who’s telling the truth isn’t clear, but the cast in this drama has many players, and the stakes were high when the charges were initially made; they came during sworn testimony given as part of confidential litigation that ended with Armstrong and his racing company getting a $7.5-million settlement.

Armstrong’s primary accuser is the wife of a former cycling teammate, who testified that she heard Armstrong, shortly after cancer surgery in 1996, tell doctors that he had used several drugs.

Others allegedly were in Armstrong’s room when he made the admission, and the recollection of at least one has been disputed. Page D1

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Sen. Clinton says party is uniting

This month’s congressional debates over the Iraq war have brought Democratic lawmakers together and narrowed their differences on the issue, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says.

Democrats are “more united” because of debate on possible troop withdrawals, she tells reporters. Indeed, many congressional Democrats are pleased to see the party increasingly being identified with a call for a change in direction in Iraq.

Republicans, though, say the public discussion focused attention on a Democratic message that ranges, in the words of one GOP strategist, “from ‘cut and run’ to ‘cut and jog’ or ‘cut and walk.’ ” Page A7

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Really, officer, it was just algae

Four pelicans are in protective custody after they were found three sheets to the wind.

One of the birds crashed into a car on Pacific Coast Highway, injuring itself but not the car’s driver. Authorities suspect the birds might have gotten intoxicated from consuming algae. Page B3

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A farewell to foam?

The chemical term is polystyrene; the trademark for “expanded” polystyrene is Styrofoam. And Santa Monica might just be about to tag it with another term: verboten. The city is considering a ban on non-recyclable packaging for takeout food and drinks, including Styrofoam and clear plastic containers made of polystyrene. Page B1

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CALENDAR

A movie so bad it’s great

The 1970s blaxploitation film “Dolemite” oozes with cliches, including wild pimps and an all-girl kung-fu squad. Now, the cult classic’s soundtrack is ready for release -- a collection of funk, blues and soul that pulsates behind the story of a hero’s fight to free a ghetto from a drug kingpin. Page E1

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A new stanza in a poet’s long career

Along the way to being named poet laureate of the United States, Donald Hall has been informed by stints at Harvard, Oxford and the Paris Review as well as career insecurity, illness and his wife’s death.

In fact, death has long been an influence on Hall’s autobiographical work. But so too has the time he spent at his family’s 141-year-old New Hampshire farmhouse. Now 77, Hall’s goal is to promote the idea that poetry is alive and well. “People always say poetry is dead,” Hall said, “but it’s never died.” Page E1

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K-Fed gives his one-cent worth

Kevin Federline’s romp through Hollywood’s clubs and his lease on fame as Mr. Britney Spears have earned him an image as a taker. Now, K-Fed says he wants to give back -- a penny at a time.

The would-be rapper was in New York’s Times Square this week at a rally to preserve the penny -- long targeted for elimination. The event is tied in with a nationwide effort to collect spare change from people to pay for youth programs.

But a closer look finds the man behind the event, Sir Richard Branson, is set to launch a 1-cent text message plan for his Virgin Mobile that needs -- what else? -- hyping. Page E1.

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THE CRITIC: ‘And why not bring on the baby stylists? Because no self-respecting 2-week-old wants to appear in a onesie that’s so five feedings ago, or be caught in the same sun hat as the baby in the next pram over.’ Times Fashion Critic Booth Moore on infant couture. Calendar, E1.

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BUSINESS

IPO to aid Russia’s oil strategy

What was once a minor player on the world energy scene next week is poised to make a move that could help transform Rosneft into Russia’s largest oil producer.

The first public sale of state-controlled Rosneft stock might raise as much as $10 billion, making it Russia’s largest IPO. The cash would pay debt Rosneft shouldered in 2004 when it took over the prime production facility of privately owned Yukos oil after a government tax case. The move renationalized much of Russia’s oil industry.

The rise of Rosneft as a global oil powerhouse is part of Russian President Vladimir V. Putin’s strategy for a massive state-controlled energy sector that can be a key component in the nation’s foreign policy. Page C1

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ON LATIMES.COM

Where to go for new film releases

Weekend movies: Read reviews of all this weekend’s new releases, plus see trailers and photos, and get details about every movie, as well as where it’s playing in your neighborhood.

calendarlive.com

A festive start: The L.A. Film Festival kicked off in Westwood with a screening of “The Devil Wears Prada,” and our photographers were there. See images of Anne Hathaway, Adrian Grenier and more in a photo gallery at The Envelope, your source for the best in red carpet coverage. https://theenvelope.latimes.com/

Week in pictures: Memorable images of the week from photographers around the world.

latimes.com/weekinpictures

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SPORTS

Phil’s back, and hackers rejoice

Before he started playing the percentages and winning golf’s major titles, Phil Mickelson was a guy weekend hackers could relate to.

Got a huge tree standing between you and the hole? No problem. Go for it. Power the ball through the tree. Mickelson would -- or at least he would try.

But now, Phil is back, writes columnist Bill Dwyre. Phil ain’t happy about it, but all of us duffers are.

Last weekend, Mickelson hit a sponsor’s tent with his drive on the final hole of the U.S. Open and eventually let the win slip through his fingers.

The shot, Dwyre writes, signaled “all was well again in our world, which is inhabited by guys who can’t break 90 without a mulligan or an eraser.” Page D2