Edwards

There still appears to be a sizable minority in America who favors big news organizations at least in part for their broad ambitions, thoroughness, balance and sense of restraint. But ain't it a shame when those highfalutin', old-school intentions get in the way of the basic mission -- delivering the audience a "Hey Martha!" scoop now and then with their breakfast cereal? It seems the higher values and a healthy dose of old-fashioned incredulity (Could he really be that big a cad?

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Excuse David Ragan if he had to ask how to get to Victory Lane. He was, after all, a 100-1 underdog to win at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday afternoon. But he was the last man standing on a grueling afternoon when he squeezed past a number of NASCAR veterans on the last lap to pull off a huge upset in the Aaron's 499. “This is a true David vs. Goliath moment,” he said. “Man, this is special.” Ragan used a push from Front Row Motorsports teammate David Gilliland to overtake veterans Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth on a green-white-checkered finish shortly after sunset.

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards admitted Thursday that he fathered a child with a former campaign videographer, confirming rumors and reports that had been swirling around the former North Carolina senator for months. "I am Quinn's father," Edwards said in a prepared statement, referring to Frances Quinn Hunter, the toddler he fathered with the videographer, Rielle Hunter. " . . . It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me."

Edward A. Frieman, a leading figure in American science for decades as a researcher with wide-ranging interests, a top-level governmental advisor on defense and energy issues, and director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, has died. He was 87. Frieman died April 11 at UCSD's Thornton Hospital in La Jolla of a respiratory illness, the university announced. His legacy extends to leadership posts in academia, government and private industry. There are "not many like him, and he will be sorely missed," said John Deutch, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and former CIA director and deputy secretary of Defense.

Something terrible must have happened to Cat Stevens. CHRIS BURTON Long Beach

Cook Inc. said it was suing Irvine-based Edwards Lifesciences Corp., alleging patent infringement in Germany. Bloomington, Ind.-based Cook said Edwards' recently launched Sapien THV heart valve infringes its German patent. Cook said it asked the court to issue a cease-and-desist order to prevent Edwards from manufacturing, importing, exporting and selling the device.

The historic courthouse in Pittsboro, N.C., where a lawsuit over a sex tape involving former U.S. Sen. John Edwards was being heard, was destroyed by fire Thursday evening. Chatham County Superior Court Judge Abraham Penn Jones, who is overseeing the case, told the Associated Press that the evidence in the case, including the tape, is in a vault away from the courthouse. "They were doing historic renovation on a landmark that is very important to this town and county," Pittsboro Mayor Randolph Voller said.

Count yourself lucky. You're reading the Column of the, er, Cocker Spaniels. No, the Column of the Cadavers. No, the Column of the Concord Grapes. No, the Column of the Cursed. The Comatose. The Cantaloupes? No, no, no. Wait. I've got it. Here it is. I like this very much. Very posh, very elegant, very catchy and indelible. Welcome to . . . THE COLUMN OF THE COLOSSUSSSSSS!!! Well, whatever. After watching television for a number of years, I've learned that everyone needs a slogan.

What happened to the word "unified" in the Los Angeles school district? RICK FRIEDL Edwards, Calif.

A few minutes before a screening of "Filly Brown" last week, Oscar-nominated actor Edward James Olmos tried to explain why the new family drama about a female Los Angeles street poet "is the most hopeful film I've ever worked on in my life. " Olmos, 66, had gathered in a backroom at Universal CityWalk's AMC theaters with his costar and longtime friend Lou Diamond Phillips, 51, and Gina Rodriguez, 28, whose performance as an aspiring rap star helped land "Filly Brown" a spot at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

Boston Bruins broadcaster Jack Edwards was not just critical of Penguins left wing Matt Cooke, he went so far as to compare him to an assassin. While it's true that Cooke had a reputation as a player who took cheap shots at opponents and has been blamed for ruining the career of Marc Savard with a blindside hit that gave him a concussion, he was neither penalized nor fined for that hit. Savard, who played for several seasons with the Bruins, has struggled with concussions since Cooke's hit and has not played since 2011 because of post-concussion syndrome.

Edward Norton and fiancee Shauna Robertson have welcomed a baby boy to their family, according to reports swirling online. The "Moonrise Kingdom" actor, 43, and Canadian film producer are said to have had the baby in March, Us Weekly reported , and they are "thrilled and excited for parenthood. " The mag was also first to report the pregnancy last month. PHOTOS: Hollywood baby boom Norton's publicists would neither confirm nor deny the report and have told The Times that they do not comment on his personal life.

About 10% of married couples suffer from infertility - the inability to conceive a child naturally. Through the better part of the 20th century, physicians considered this a minor and perhaps irrelevant problem, one that contributed overall to society by keeping the birthrate down. British biologist Robert Edwards thought differently. He was among the first to fully appreciate the frustration and depression the condition engendered in its victims and the benefits that could arise from reversing it. Along the way, he met resistance from religious conservatives who insisted that life must begin only through intercourse, not artificially, and from fellow scientists who resented the fact that he spoke frequently with the media about both his research and the ethical implications.

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Carl Edwards snapped a 70-race winless streak with an overtime victory in Sunday's NASCAR race at Phoenix International Raceway. Edwards held off Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson, who took second place by mere inches when he won a drag race to the finish line with third-place Denny Hamlin. "This is huge ... one of the coolest wins of my life," said Edwards, who had not won a Sprint Cup Series race since he took first in Las Vegas on March 6, 2011. Edwards, who drives the No. 99 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, appeared to have the Subway Fresh Fit 500 in hand if he hadn't run out of fuel on the one-mile Phoenix track.

AVONDALE, Ariz. - When the race was over, Carl Edwards parked his No. 99 Ford at the finish line and climbed onto the car's window frame. Cheers from the grandstands swelled at Phoenix International Raceway, because the fans knew what was coming next. The question was: Did Edwards still know how to do it? After all, it had been 70 races since Edwards had won a Sprint Cup Series race and performed his trademark victory back flip from the car. "I was a little nervous," Edwards, 33, later admitted.

Click here to download TV listings for the week of Feb. 17 - 23, 2013 in PDF format This week's TV Movies     CBS This Morning (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Martha Stewart. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC Live With Kelly and Michael Walt Disney World: Johnny Galecki; Chris Wallace performs. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Abby Lee Miller; Don Cheadle. (N) 10 a.m. KABC The Talk Benjamin Bratt; Drew Carey. (N)

From Geoffrey of Monmouth to Dan Brown, when it comes to driving narrative, it's hard to beat a good heroic quest. Whether it's the Holy Grail, the one ring, the ark of the covenant or Moby-Dick, draw up a map, create a barely attainable, possibly mystical item to find and/or destroy and you've immediately got the attention of millions. Unfortunately, even for those of us who prefer our conspiracies biblical and our talismans magical, ABC's "Zero Hour," while initially tantalizing (priests, Nazis, Anthony Edwards, an unholy birth, a secret map - I'm in!