New York Times- Most e-mailed stories A Conversation With Dr. Peter J. Pronovost: Doctor Leads Quest for Safer Ways to Care for Patients Dr. Peter J. Pronovost, medical director of the Quality and Safety Research Group at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, travels the country advising hospitals on innovative safety measures. Baby’s Snuggled in a Sling, but Safe? Baby carriers are more popular as parents believe the snuggled-up style has benefits for infants. Archive and Historical Society Exhibition for Grateful Dead An exhibit at the New-York Historical Society is the first large-scale showing of items from the Grateful Dead archive. Advertising: ‘Mad Men’ Dolls in Barbie’s World, but Cocktails Stay Behind Mattel is planning versions of Barbie and Ken styled after four “Mad Men” characters in a promotion for the television series as well as for Barbie. Attacks on Detainee Lawyers Split Conservatives Liz Cheney criticized lawyers who represented terrorism suspects. A group of right-leaning legal scholars objected. For the Afflicted, a Little Black Box to Jog Failing Memory Researchers have tested the Sensecam, which contains a digital camera and an accelerometer, as an aid to people with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders. AP- Top News Calif. boy who called 911 thanks dispatcher NORWALK, Calif. (AP) -- A 7-year-old boy who called 911 from a locked bathroom while armed robbers threatened his parents hugged and high-fived on Wednesday the sheriff's dispatcher who took his call.... 'Big Mike' draws tears, cheers on 'American Idol' LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael "Big Mike" Lynche made Kara DioGuardi cry and turned the rest of the "American Idol" judges giddy with a moving performance of "This Woman's Work."... Kidd, Mavs beat Nets for 13th straight victory DALLAS (AP) -- Jason Kidd had 20 points and nine assists, Caron Butler added 16 points, and the Dallas Mavericks recovered from a lethargic start to match the NBA's longest winning streak this season with their 13th straight victory, 96-87 over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.... Pelosi: Dems close on health care agreement ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) -- Democrats claimed momentum Wednesday in their drive to enact the sweeping health care legislation sought by President Barack Obama, citing near agreement on crucial issues despite persistent Republican efforts to knock them off stride.... House GOP leaders press earmark moratorium WASHINGTON (AP) -- House GOP leaders are pushing rank-and-file Republicans to break their addiction to pet projects by going cold turkey and giving up the long-cherished practice of directing federal dollars to their home districts.... The Latest From Gourmet Magazine Restaurants Now: Ellerbe Fine Foods (Fort Worth, TX) - A Shreveport chef brings a touch of elegance—and Cajun moxie—to the edge of cow country. Extreme Frugality: Well, Nobody's Perfect The zero-spending game is called on account of soccer ... and foraging for wild edibles. Our Pumpkin Picks This Halloween, forget the jack-o-lantern and turn your pumpkin into one of these comforting fall dishes, from rolls to rice pudding. How to Say No We've encouraged our daughter to eat anything that pleases her. We never thought about how to set limits. How Robert Bresson Taught Me To Cook Chip Brantley, author of the book The Perfect Fruit: Good Breeding, Bad Seeds and the Hunt for the Elusive Pluot and co-founder of cookthink.com, explains what the difficult French filmmaker showed him about the art of cooking. Grant Achatz Goes to Austria Like a small museum with ever changing galleries, the progressive and very modern restaurant Ikarus showcases the world's best talent, one chef at a time. Paul B. Brown, Small Business Tool Kit A Good Time to Remember the Fundamentals “The New Coffee-House Investor” counsels keeping an eye on basic principles like diversification. Here’s an Idea: Bring Back the Suggestion Box Small businesses may benefit by reviving the old-school suggestion box, with modern touches added, of course. Reading for Hard Times Some recently published books offer words of wisdom for entrepreneurs as the recession continues. Showing Off Your Solutions in a White Paper Before blogs, companies marketed themselves to potential customers through white papers, essentially essays on the value of your services. Dealing With Recession-Related Stress Small-business owners can help themselves and their employees deal with stress by keeping the workplace well organized and paying attention to their health. Politics 2008 House bans some earmarks amid ethics concerns (Reuters) Reuters - Democrats in the House of Representatives moved on Wednesday to limit the ability of lawmakers to tuck pet projects into spending bills amid mounting election-year ethics concerns. US lawmakers reject Afghan pull-out (AFP) AFP - The House of Representatives on Wednesday roundly defeated a resolution demanding President Barack Obama withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan, in a key election-year test for his war strategy. House rejects pullout from Afghanistan (Reuters) Reuters - The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected a measure calling for President Barack Obama to pull U.S. forces from Afghanistan, in an election-year test of his decision to escalate the war. House rejects call for withdrawal from Afghanistan (AP) AP - The House on Wednesday soundly rejected an effort by anti-war lawmakers to force a withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year. Witherspoon: First lady is DC's top fashionista (AP) AP - Actress Reese Witherspoon says her "Legally Blonde" character Elle Woods has been ousted as the most stylish woman to come to the nation's capital by first lady Michelle Obama. U.S. calls Myanmar election laws "a mockery" (Reuters) Reuters - New laws enacted by Myanmar's military government make a mockery of democracy and ensure that elections due later this year will be a farce, the United States said on Wednesday. (AP) AP - Obama: 'We are not backing down, we are not quitting' in push for health care overhaul. Pelosi: Dems close on health care agreement (AP) AP - Democrats claimed momentum Wednesday in their drive to enact the sweeping health care legislation sought by President Barack Obama, citing near agreement on crucial issues despite persistent Republican efforts to knock them off stride. Strange But True Pet shop owner claims fish is 43, weighs 20 pounds NEW YORK (AP) -- It sounds fishy but a New York City pet shop owner says it's true. Buttkiss, the black pacu he owns, is 43 and weighs 20 pounds. A pacu is a breed that's related to the piranha. Steve Gruebel owns Cameo Pet Shop in Queens. He got Buttkiss in 1967 when he was just a wee thing. He sold him a year later when Buttkiss was two inches long. But in 1970, Buttkiss was returned when he outgrew the buyer's tank.... Pa. suit: Bank wrongly repossessed home, took bird PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A Pittsburgh-area woman is suing Bank of America, claiming it wrongfully repossessed her home and saying that a bank contractor trashed the house and took her parrot.... Police: Burglar uses church equipment to view porn AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Second-degree burglary charges have been filed against an Ames man who broke into a church where he allegedly used the institution's electronic equipment to watch pornography. Police allege the 55-year-old man broke into the First Christian Church on Thursday. After gathering items from around the building, he is believed to have gone to the basement to spend the night.... Midnight knitter pulls the wool over NJ shore town WEST CAPE MAY, N.J. (AP) -- Someone is spinning quite a yarn over one New Jersey shore town. An unknown person dubbed The Midnight Knitter by West Cape May residents is covering tree branches and lamp poles with little sweaters under cover of darkness.... Police: Calif. robber holds up 11 people, gets $6 THERMAL, Calif. (AP) -- They say crime doesn't pay. For one robber in California, it did - but not much. Authorities in Riverside County say a woman with a gun robbed 11 customers at a market and got away with $6.... Top News From AllInOne Rapper Lil' Wayne sentenced to one year [CNN] Lil' Wayne was sentenced Monday to a year in prison. Man bitten twice in face by brown snake [ABC News, Australia] An man is in a serious condition in hospital after being bitten in the face by a brown snake in the New South Wales upper Hunter Valley. InStyle picks best dressed at the Oscars [CNN] Oscar night is Hollywood's main fashion event, and most notable on the red carpet this year was our favorite actresses stepping out in uber feminine -- not just fashion forward -- looks. Thai PM cancels Australia trip [ABC News, Australia] Thailand's prime minister has postponed a trip to Australia and is considering introducing tough new security restrictions that critics say amount to martial law. Oscars were 'Ladies' Night in a Boys' Town' [CNN] When Alec Baldwin closed out the Academy Awards on Sunday night by slapping director Kathryn Bigelow squarely on the backside, that pretty much said it all.