THURSDAY BRIEFING

Truck flips, cargo spills, 405 stalls

Just in time for the Thanksgiving travel crush, a southbound big rig on the 405 Freeway hit the center divider, caromed across lanes and flipped on its side near the Rosecrans exit.

The crash spilled some of the truck’s load, 55-gallon drums of acetone and rubbing alcohol, and closed that side of the 405 for several hours.

Traffic on the southbound side backed up to the 10 Freeway and the northbound side was slow too. Surrounding streets and freeways also became quickly jammed just as thousands flocked to nearby LAX for holiday travel. Page B1

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Passports needed for N. America

Speaking of travel, the federal government set Jan. 23 as the first day that U.S. citizens returning by air from Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean nations must possess a passport.

The new regulation, which was mandated by Congress two years ago, is intended to heighten border and airport security and eliminates the driver’s license as an entry identification. The passport requirement will extend to land border crossings and cruise ships in January 2008. Page A1

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Oxygen monitors don’t help at birth

Oxifirst fetal oxygen monitors were introduced about six years ago to determine if a baby is in distress during labor. The idea was to make vaginal delivery safer and reduce the need for caesarean deliveries.

But according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine, examination of nearly 5,000 deliveries shows no benefit; the rate of caesareans was not reduced and the infant’s health not improved. So conclusive are the findings that the study was terminated early. Page A23

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Call 911, the cost of healthcare soars

Increasing consolidation in the health insurance industry has added clout to the remaining companies, making new rates more imposition than negotiation -- as hundreds of California actors, artists, musicians and writers outside of employer-sponsored health plans are quickly learning.

Premium hikes are averaging 82% with some soaring 254%; Cigna will soon charge single members $1,022 a month in the Los Angeles area and $2,485 a month in the city. Page C1

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China too reports more AIDS cases

China’s Health Ministry says the number of cases of HIV and AIDS reported through October was nearly 30% more than was reported throughout all of 2005.

Experts say the 183,733 cases reported, up from 144,089 in 2005, reflect the continuing spread of the epidemic and better reporting techniques across China. Page A4

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Econo-blogs gain wide followings

Economics was once labeled the dismal science. But now it’s joining the Internet revolution in the form of blogs by economists who gain prominence by their Internet presence.

These econo-blogs -- online compilations of lectures, journals and endless college seminars -- are attracting millions of avid readers, and audience participation is expected. Page C1

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Immigration reform splits Dems

During the recent midterm election campaign, the Democrats presented a front united on immigration reform around the need for a bill that would allow illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. This was attacked by critics as amnesty.

Now that Democrats are about to take control of Congress, serious cracks are appearing in that united front. “Just because we have the majority doesn’t mean we have enough votes for an immigration reform bill,” says Anaheim’s Loretta Sanchez. Page A24

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President pardons two birds

Fresh from a White House reprieve from being eaten, this year’s honorary holiday turkeys will be feted today as grand marshals of Disneyland’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The two Missouri turkeys -- Flyer and Fryer -- will then spend their remaining days in a special Frontierland house. Page A22

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A man of meaning

Joel Havemann is a Times reporter who’s had Parkinson’s disease for 16 years. He takes drugs, had an operation, continues to work and finds the strongest medicine is hope. Page A1

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CALENDAR WEEKEND

Anglophile city

It may be soggy, but England did produce Monty Python, punk and the Beatles. And Anglophile Angelenos can’t seem to get enough of all things Britain, Liam Gowing reports. There is fashion and food (that’s correct) and hotspots such as Club Bang! at the Ruby on Hollywood Boulevard, where Taylor Spriggs of Orange dances the night away. Page E32

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Dead bulbs to the max

In the new movie “Deck the Halls,” a lighting war breaks out between two suburban Moes trying to outdo each other’s holiday yard spectacle. Danny Devito’s character gloats that his neon house will be visible from space.

Creating that look for the movie took 100,000 lights, both traditional and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and it was the full-time job of several people to do nothing but replace burned-out bulbs. Page E6

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Thanksgiving solo mio?

If you’re not part of a family or couple, can you still enjoy this holiday? Only, Brad Dickson writes, if you go it alone:

“What about meeting someone during the actual meal? There’s something about consuming mass quantities of food to the point of lapsing into nauseated, bloated, tryptophan-induced sweat comas that doesn’t mesh with meeting the love of your life,” Dickson observes. Page E29

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Kitties ready for close-ups

Well apparently you can herd cats. Because 30 of them perform tightrope walking, balancing and acrobatics in the Moscow Cat Theatre starting this weekend.

The performing cats are among 100 that live in a theater in Moscow when not touring with their act. Director Yuri Kuklechev acknowledges that cats won’t obey unless they want to, but there are ways to coax his stars to deliver that diva performance. Page E30

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SPORTS

Angels, Dodgers add outfield help

As the Dodgers finalize the signing of center fielder Juan Pierre, the Angels also add a new man in center, signing Gary Matthews Jr. to a five-year contract.

Mathews batted just .249 in his first six years in the big leagues, but last year he hit .313 with 19 home runs for the Texas Rangers. The Angels say they’re confident that wasn’t just a flash in the pan.

“I think he’s figured it out,” Manager Mike Scioscia says. “Last year, he was consistent from both sides of the plate ... and being a premium defender, that’s a priority for us.” Page D1

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Just wait till your nose gets broken

Everyone loves a winning quarterback, and Dallas Cowboys fans are positively swooning over Tony Romo, who has won three of his four starts and has completed 68% of his passes. “He’s got that ‘it’ about him,” a longtime football executive says.

Coach Bill Parcells isn’t ready to add Romo’s name to the Cowboys Ring of Honor, though. A quarterback’s real test, he says, comes “when you got beat, 38-10, and your nose is broken, and the fans are booing you, and the coaches are looking at you sideways, and the players are wondering what you can do. You’ve got to get back in the huddle on Wednesday and act like you can be a team leader.” Page D1

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BUSINESS

This team knows how to deliver ...

United Parcel Service doesn’t just deliver packages; it also serves as some companies’ de facto warehouse. And that makes the holiday season even more hectic.

At the company’s Ontario hub, workers fetch products, package and label them, and then route them toward the delivery trucks.

Many manufacturers, an economist observes, are turning to UPS after asking themselves: “Why run a distribution operation when what you are really good at is making scented candles?” Page C1

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... and this one knows futility

Sentimental billionaires are primping like high schoolers, hoping to attract a glance from Tribune Co., which might or might not be ready to sell the Chicago Cubs.

Tribune itself could be sold or broken up, and financiers with a fancy for baseball want to seize on a rare opportunity to purchase a team that’s hugely popular despite not having won a World Series since 1908.

Baseball industry observers, though, wonder what kind of sales strategy Tribune is pursuing. The Cubs recently committed $211 million in contracts to two players -- a move that could lower the sales price of the franchise. Page C1

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HOME

L.A.’s problem of aging trees

We’ve been taking them for granted for years, as if they were well-established family members who would live on forever. But trees, like people, have a lifespan. And now the generation of trees planted in the World War II era along Los Angeles streets and around the city’s 540,000 single-family homes are dying off.

Trees in a dense urban environment don’t just look nice. Trees catch air pollution, combat erosion and soak up rainfall that would otherwise overload sewers. Trees muffle the clatter of crowded urban life. Decaying tree leaves help condition the soil. The shade from trees chops summer electric bills by some 30%. Trees attract birds who eat insects. So what to do?

Individual homeowners can ensure they have the next generation of trees coming along. And Mayor Villaraigosa has launched the Million Trees LA Initiative. Page F1

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A bachelor’s castle with 2 grand views

Two years ago when Domus Solaris was for sale, some would-be buyers thought the 30-year-old Mulholland Drive home, which had been designed by the late Pasadena architect Donald Hensman, was a perfect candidate for destruction and replacement.

Not Michael Rielly.

The former sports agent thought the one-bedroom bachelor’s castle, a redwood-and-glass rectangle reached by a paved bridge over a large pool, was a perfect candidate for restoration.

First of all, its garage-top deck has magnificent views of the San Fernando Valley on one side and the Los Angeles Basin on the other. But little did he realize then what he was getting into. Page F1

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New bird guides for the Southland

Late autumn can be an addicting time of year to be a bird-watcher in Southern California.

The fall avian migrants are passing through by the millions and the winter visitors are just arriving from the north and east.

It’s a perfect time too for publication of two new bird guides, designed specifically for Southern California bird-watchers.

They are “Birds of the Los Angeles Region” and “Introduction to Birds of the Southern California Coast.” Page F3

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LATIMES.COM

Thanksgiving triage

Today most families will celebrate the annual test of culinary skill otherwise known as Thanksgiving dinner. We’ll serve foods that we prepare just once a year. Because we make these dishes rarely, our skills may be rusty. Don’t panic: We’ve got how-to tips online to walk you through each course of your meal, including our ever-popular Turkey Carving 101 video and photo gallery.latimes.com/theholidays

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Editorial leftovers

The L.A. Times editorial board has had a lot to say in the 125 years of the paper’s existence. Sometimes it’s been on the money, sometimes it’s been off the mark. In celebration of the holiday and our anniversary, we issue fun and interesting selections just for the Web. Join us for some Thanksgiving Day editorials at opinion.latimes.com.

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Beggars banquet

The Rolling Stones just blew through Dodger Stadium, so its time to catch up with the Glitter Twins, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, as we look back at classic concerts from years past. We not only present a photo gallery of Stones performances, but also a collection of Robert Hilburn’s Rolling Stones concert reviews from the last 30 years. Our rock royalty retrospective makes its home at latimes.com/stones.