Uncertainty

Jack Osbourne has revealed that he has multiple sclerosis, an incurable and unpredictable disease that attacks the central nervous system. The offspring of rocker Ozzy Osbourne and "America's Got Talent" judge Sharon Osbourne said the diagnosis came just as life was soaring with new joys. Osbourne, 26, and his fiancee recently welcomed a baby girl, Pearl. "While I was waiting for the final results, I got really, really angry," he told Hello! magazine. "Then I got really sad for about two days, and after that I realized: Being angry and upset is not going to do anything at this point, if anything it's only going to make it worse ...  'adapt and overcome' is my new motto.

TUCSON - The release of more than 300 people from immigration detention centers in Arizona - part of a mass release across the nation in anticipation of looming federal budget cuts - sparked outrage among activists on both sides of the political aisle. Anti-illegal immigration groups and others accused the Obama administration of playing politics, while an immigrant rights group said the incident showed the administration had detained people they shouldn't have in the first place.

Hollywood is basking in one of those rare years when some of its biggest box-office successes are also vying for Oscars. And the biggest hit among the nine best picture nominees is the one many thought would fail to connect with audiences - let alone turn a profit. Director Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" has so far generated $570.9 million in worldwide ticket sales. That trumps its two highest-grossing Oscar competitors - "Les Misérables" at $359.7 million and "Django Unchained" with $342.6 million.

A new National Research Council report says the U.S. may be able to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 in light-duty cars and trucks. The highly ambitious goal could be reached, the report says, through a combination of more efficient vehicles and the use of gasoline and diesel alternatives such as bio-fuels, electricity and hydrogen. "To reach the 2050 goals for reducing petroleum use and greenhouse gases, vehicles must become dramatically more efficient, regardless of how they are powered," said Douglas M. Chapin, principal of MPR Associates and chairman of the committee that wrote the report.

In a bold bet on the digital future of entertainment, Time Warner Inc. has selected its digital guru -- Kevin Tsujihara -- as the new chief executive of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Time Warner Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes' selection of Tsujihara, currently president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment,  was something of a surprise. Bewkes on Monday passed over two seasoned executives who have been responsible for the Burbank studio's marquee businesses: Bruce Rosenblum, who is in charge of television production, and Jeff Robinov, who is head of Warner Bros.' prestigious movie studio.

First came the frenzy for iPhones and iPads. Now there's a scramble for iBonds. Apple Inc. sold $17 billion in bonds Tuesday, a gargantuan deal that ranked as the largest in global corporate history. And even though the securities are paying microscopically low interest, investors tripped over themselves to buy in. In the financial equivalent of a line stretching around the block, investors reportedly submitted more than $50 billion in requests, or more than three times the amount available.

A nationwide settlement on foreclosure practices has ended one headache for the banks involved, but there are signs that it is only the beginning of many others. The agreement between 49 states and five large banks gives the financial giants immunity from future complaints about some aspects of their foreclosure practices. The banks had previously made changes to improve the way they foreclose on homeowners and had put aside most of the funds necessary to pay for the $25-billion settlement.

Plans for a 45-story, wisp-thin tower of ultra-luxury condominiums between Beverly Hills High School and the Los Angeles Country Club are set to be unveiled today. Developers say it would be one of the most expensive residential buildings in the West. The $400-million tower along one of the area's toniest corridors would be the first building in California designed by renowned Paris architect Jean Nouvel, known for his daring designs.

Two of California's largest health insurers have agreed to pay for costly behavioral therapy for thousands of autistic children — services the companies have long resisted covering. Under pressure from regulators, Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross said they would pick up the initial cost of a treatment known as applied behavior analysis. Insurers, worried about rising demand for expensive services as the number of autism cases grows, have argued that the therapy is not a medical treatment but an educational or social service exempt from coverage.

Lineman Ernie Lopez has been rousted out of bed on countless cold, rainy nights. He's climbed 100-foot utility poles in heavy winds and grabbed live electrical lines with nothing but a pair of rubber gloves to protect him. But the hardest thing Lopez has done in 20 years at Southern California Edison is walk away from a darkened apartment building while residents pleaded for their heat. It happened in late January.