Economy grows well

Shaking off a staggering economic blow from Hurricane Katrina that carried into the final quarter of last year, the U.S. economy is now expanding briskly.

New Commerce Department figures show the economy growing this year at an inflation-adjusted annual rate of 4.8%, compared with 1.7% in October-December.

Only once during the Bush presidency -- the summer of 2003 -- has the economy flourished more strongly. “The economy was firing on all cylinders,” said one expert.

Another set of government figures shows that while the economy is growing well, worker pay continues to lag behind inflation. Page C1

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Shiites OK shifting ministries

In a hopeful sign for formation of a new Iraqi government, leaders of the country’s powerful Shiite Muslim political bloc say they’re willing to relinquish control over the Interior Ministry and its police forces.

In return, the move, which could reassure Sunnis, would shift control of the Defense Ministry to the Shiites. “We want the negotiations to proceed quickly,” said one spokesman. Page A15

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Last round of root beers to go

Remember how you’d drive into the drive-in, push the order button and the food would be roller-skated out to hang on your car window while you checked out all the other people checking out other people? And the root beer glass was all frosty?

Well, all that’s coming to an end in Ontario this weekend with the closing of the local A&W;, the last root beer stand in Southern California with carhop service. After 35 years of seven-day weeks, fries, milkshakes and declining sales, owners Larry and Sherrill Roan want to retire.

“It’s just another landmark that’s closing down,” said one regular.

The most likely new tenant? Another used car lot. Page B3

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Pellicano case leak probed

The U.S. attorney’s office is trying to find out who leaked FBI documents, in violation of a judge’s order, in the investigation of private eye Anthony Pellicano.

The San Diego office is heading the probe because agents and prosecutors in L.A. are among those who have access to the documents, sources say.

Those who are found to have leaked the documents could be found in contempt of court and face fines and jail time.

The confidential information involves FBI reports of interviews in the investigation. The judge had ordered that the information not be disclosed because it could expose confidential informants and impede the investigation. Page B1

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A passing comet passes away

Comets are wandering relics of the early solar system, loosely packed agglomerations of dust and ice particles.

After millions of years, another one meets its doom. Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 broke into four chunks in 1995.

Now, after more exposure to the sun’s heat and gravitational forces, the comet has crumbled into more than 40 pieces. On May 12, the largest fragment will be studied by scientists as it passes within 5.5 million miles of Earth. Page A13

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The power of spirit

The subject intrigues many: Do strong spiritual convictions mean a healthy body? Can spiritual belief overcome disease? “The very fact of having a positive attitude could boost the immune system,” says Donald Miller, professor of religion at USC, “and could have a healing effect.” Page B2

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CALENDAR

Fair puts Mexico on art map

MACO: Mexico Arte Contemporaneo drew from galleries from 15 countries for what some are hailing as the best contemporary art fair in Latin America. The five-day event drew thousands looking for art’s next big thing. Page E1

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Next on stage

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival a venue for experimental architecture and robotics? Not yet. But the annual festival known for its cutting-edge music will become a showcase for high-tech stages as well, promoters say. Yale architecture students are using the concert, which kicks off today in Indio, as inspiration for rethinking the rock ‘n’ roll stage as a movable feast for the eyes. Page E1

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Bull’s-eye cool

The line separating the high end from the low end in fashion is blurring as mass-market retailers increasingly collaborate with serious clothing and accessory designers. The trendsetter is Target, which honed its “Tarzhay” cache with styles by designers whose stuff is usually found on the racks of expensive boutiques. “It’s all about having a sense of humor,” says one designer. Page E1

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From Peru to L.A.

“Santiago” is a haunting drama that speaks to the unhealed wounds of colonial conquest and religious warfare.

The play at REDCAT by an acclaimed Peruvian troupe is the story of the last inhabitants of a dreamlike Andean town who revive a suspended religious ritual. The play offers a cautionary tale with echoes to the current conflict between Christians and Muslims. Page E6

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BUSINESS

Big oil, big profits

Chevron Corp. on Friday became the latest oil company to report gusher-size profits amid growing public anger at $3-plus gas prices at the pump.

The San Ramon-based company’s $4 billion first-quarter net earnings surpassed Wall Street’s expectations and came on the heels of a similar report by Exxon Mobil Corp. -- fueling critics who say big oil is profiting from the suffering of consumers.

Meanwhile, gas prices continue their steady rise. In California, the average pump price Friday was 2.7 cents higher than the day before. For the month, the statewide average is up 50 cents a gallon. Page C1

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Unlikely Alliances

Kurdish leaders seeking independence are getting an economic boost from a surprising source -- bitter enemy Turkey.

While the Turkish government continues to clash with Kurds who want self-rule in Iraq’s three northern provinces, scores of Turkish businesses have signed contracts for projects in Iraqi Kurdistan worth more than $1 billion. The infusion of money has gone into building two airports, roads, housing developments and university buildings.

The investment is seen by some as potentially thawing a century’s worth of tension.

Page C1

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TIM RUTTEN: “Cut through the pro forma moralizing, discount for schadenfreude, and the literary scandal du jour suggests something important about why fewer and fewer kids curl up with a good book.” Regarding Media, Calendar, E1

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COMING SUNDAY

The homes we built over 125 years

From the land boom in the 1880s to the talk of a bubble today, real estate in Southern California is more than the ground beneath our feet. It is a way of life. Our visions of paradise are constantly changing -- Craftsman bungalows and ranch homes, the 1920s Pickfair estate and John Lautner’s “flying saucer” midcentury glass house. Sunday, in commemoration of its 125th anniversary, The Times publishes a special section looking at our magnificent obsession with this place we call home.

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ON LATIMES.COM

Coachella, from the inside

The scene unfurls: Look for constant coverage over the weekend of Southern California’s biggest pop music festival. In addition to schedules, survival tips and audio clips of the headliners, check for photos, reviews and reports from the site. Pop music writers Geoff Boucher and Chris Lee will capture the scene, and critic Richard Cromelin will size up the acts. And see web-only reports on the campgrounds and word on Madonna’s first full set in more than two years.

latimes.com/coachella