LOS ANGELES - Hollywood producers said they made a final offer to actors Monday hours before the current labor contract was to expire, but the Screen Actors Guild responded by saying the offer failed to address some key areas.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said the offer was worth more than $250 million in additional compensation to members of the guild over the three years of the proposed contract.

The current pact was to expire at 12:01 a.m. PDT Tuesday, but both sides said they would continue to work under the old contract after the deadline passes.

“In short, our final offer to SAG represents a final hope for avoiding further work stoppages and getting everyone back to work,” the alliance said in a statement. The alliance said film production had been “virtually shut down” because of uncertainty about a deal.

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written by Andrew

WASHINGTON - Remember peeking through a View-Master? Scientists are using the same concept behind the classic kids’ toy to try to see mammograms in 3-D.

The goal: A better way to check for breast cancer in women with breasts too dense for today’s mammograms to give a clear picture.

Radiologists donning 3-D glasses isn’t the only potential aid. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is testing a new kind of breast camera that might challenge the images of those far pricer MRI exams now reserved for the most high-risk women, but at a fraction of the price.

Both technologies still are experimental. But the research is being watched closely because the need is so great: Half of women younger than 50 and a third of women over 50 are estimated to have dense breasts.

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written by Andrew

Looking for a new car? Maybe you have your heart set on something fuel-efficient because of $4 gas? Or perhaps you had a good year and feel you’re ready to move up to something with a touch of style, luxury or class?

Get in line. Despite tough times for the auto industry in general, there are some car models–across a broad range of classes and sizes–that are so popular that auto manufacturers are selling them faster than they can build them.

The range of hard-to-get vehicles is as diverse as consumer tastes and budgets in general. Case in point: As expected, the most-wanted vehicle on our list is the fuel-sipping $21,500 Toyota Prius hybrid sedan that gets an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) combined estimate of 46 mpg. No. 2 on the list? The not-so-expected gas-guzzling $74,700 Lexus LX Series full-size luxury SUV that gets a combined 14 mpg.

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written by Andrew