Fracture

On July 17, 2010, after a P90X workout, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his police bodyguard began riding mountain bikes west in the bike lane on Venice Boulevard. About 6:30 p.m., heading toward La Cienega Boulevard, they were cut off by a taxi cab. Villaraigosa flipped over the handlebars. His elbow shattered on the asphalt. Two days later, with his arm in a cast, he told his staff, "Let's use this as a teachable moment" -- and for good reason. He and the city had a lot to learn about how to make bikes safer to ride and how to integrate them into the transportation system.

LeBron James sprawled his body on the Staples Center court, endangering a physique that no Lloyd's of London policy could adequately protect. He was a twisting mass of sinewy muscle, reaching low to grab the ball away from Kobe Bryant on a long rebound. The Miami Heat star dove to the floor in that fourth-quarter moment Thursday and spun toward the Lakers' three-point line. Rising quickly, James absorbed contact from a quickly closing Bryant and started a fast break that ended with the best player on this planet or any other finding Ray Allen for an open three-pointer that gave Miami the lead.

SACRAMENTO - Under pressure from state lawmakers and environmentalists, Gov. Jerry Brown's administration released draft regulations for hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," the controversial drilling process driving the nation's oil and gas boom. The proposed rules, released Tuesday, would require energy companies to disclose for the first time the chemicals they inject deep into the ground to break apart rock and release oil. They also would have to reveal the location of the wells where they use the procedure.

NEW YORK — Now more than ever, the eyes of Lakers followers turn to Steve Nash . He missed his 21st game Thursday but offered a ray of hope in a wildly overcast season. He said he would "hopefully" start practicing next week. "I'm definitely getting better," said Nash, who started running and progressively increased his shooting workouts. "If I continue to improve and there's no setbacks, then I should be able to practice next week. " Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni was optimistic enough to say there were "flickers at the end of the tunnel.

Roger Ebert has had his share of health problems in recent years, including losing his jaw to cancer. The film critic had another setback Thursday after falling and suffering a fractured hip. News first reached many fans through Ebert's wife, Chaz, who tweeted , "Roger in hospital with hip fracture (tricky disco dance moves) but he is doing well, asking for computer, will probably tweet. " Ebert himself soon chimed in for fans and assured them, "Yes, fracture. But no surgery needed.

MOSCOW - More than 200 years ago, the renowned Russian historian Nikolai Karamzin summed up the situation in his country in two words: "They steal. " They still do, and the news in Russia lately has been dominated by one high-profile corruption scandal after another. Allegations of wrongdoing have reached high into the defense and agriculture ministries and the Russian space program, among other institutions. Nearly nine in 10 Russians say corruption is the nation's biggest problem.

It's not uncommon in warm-weather climates to find hyperventilating news anchors crying out about an upcoming "Storm Watch. " Excuse the jargon seeping into the realm of the Lakers, but this week would be "Phil Watch," followed by the less-anticipated "Nash Watch. " As Phil Jackson debates whether he should return to the Lakers, Steve Nash continues to wait for his leg to heal. Nash missed his fifth game Sunday because of a small fracture in the head of his left fibula. The Lakers said he would not return until at least Friday, which would be when they play Nash's former team, the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers obviously will try to win without Steve Nash, however long it takes for his return. They'll do it with their current roster. Despite the availability of Delonte West and Derek Fisher, the Lakers don't plan to add a point guard while awaiting Nash's return from a small fracture in his left leg that will sideline him anywhere from one to four weeks. The reasoning is simple. The Lakers already have five point guards on their $100-million roster, including rookie Darius Johnson-Odom, a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against Detroit.

The Lakers will try to win without Steve Nash, however long it takes. The team said Nash would be out at least one week because of a small fracture in the head of the fibula of his left leg, though that type of injury could take three or four weeks to heal. He won't play tonight against Detroit, Wednesday against Utah or Friday against Golden State. Nash was injured last Wednesday when he was kneed by a Portland player while turning to run down court. The Lakers initially thought it was a bruised shin but an MRI exam a few days later revealed the fracture.

Steve Nash will be sidelined at least a week after being diagnosed Saturday with a non-displaced fracture in his left leg, the latest setback in a quickly deteriorating season for the Lakers. The veteran point guard will miss at least three more games after already sitting out the Lakers' 105-95 loss to the Clippers on Friday that dropped the Lakers to 0-3 for the first time in 34 years. The Lakers have not gone 0-4 to start a season since 1957, when they were still playing in Minneapolis and opened with seven consecutive losses.