Houston

HOUSTON - Former President George H.W. Bush was in a Houston hospital Thursday for continuing treatment of a lingering cough. Bush, 88, has been in and out of the hospital recently for complications resulting from bronchitis, Methodist Hospital said in a brief statement. The hospital and Bush's spokesman in Houston, Jim McGrath, described Bush as in stable condition and said that they expected the former president to be released by the weekend. He's been under hospital care for nearly a week.

HOUSTON - BP Wind Energy has reached a $750 million deal with General Electric Co. to supply and maintain 350 turbines for wind farms in Pennsylvania and Kansas. The agreement was announced Thursday. Houston-based BP Wind Energy says GE has agreed to deliver 88 turbines to the Mehoopany Wind Farm, located 20 miles northwest of Scranton, Pa. The 262 other turbines are meant for BP's Flat Ridge 2 Wind Farm, about 60 miles southwest of Wichita, Kan. BP says both projects are expected to be generating power by late 2012, with a combined capability of 560 megawatts.

HOUSTON - Former President George H.W. Bush has been admitted to the intensive care unit at a Houston hospital "following a series of setbacks including a persistent fever," but he is alert and talking to medical staff, his spokesman said Wednesday. Jim McGrath, Bush's spokesman in Houston, said in a brief e-mail that Bush was admitted to the ICU at Methodist Hospital on Sunday. He said doctors are cautiously optimistic about his treatment and that the former president "remains in guarded condition.

HOUSTON - As Charlie Manuel admitted after the first loss of a forgettable extended weekend in Houston, baseball's law of averages meant that reeling off four straight wins at Minute Maid Park would be a tough task. The Phils roared into town having won a season-high seven straight, including back-to-back sweeps of last-place teams. The first loss to the Astros, another last-place team, wasn't altogether surprising; it was almost expected. But losing two of four games at the hands of the worst team in baseball would be considered a defeat.

THE ONLY TRADE involving Dwight Howard, it turns out, came last summer. The potent scorers who moved did so long ago. There was no eye-catching activity left for deadline day, resulting in minor deals Thursday to the disappointment of those hoping for a frenzy. Josh Smith stayed put and the Boston Celtics' core stayed together, leaving J.J. Redick, dealt to Milwaukee, as the biggest name to be traded. "I don't think I've seen fewer trade deadline deals, ever," Houston general manager Daryl Morey said.

HOUSTON - Michael Jordan turned 50 on Sunday, giving this year's All-Stars a chance to reflect on his illustrious career and how much he still means to the sport. In a weekend filled with the NBA's greatest players, Jordan was the topic no one could stop talking about. Though he hasn't played since the 2002-03 season, Jordan's influence still permeates the league and its players. "Every kid that wanted to play basketball, that could play, that couldn't play, you tried to emulate Michael Jordan," Heat star Dwyane Wade said.

Saturday, 7:30 p.m., BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston. TV: NBC Sports Network. Coaches: Union (10-15-6, 36 points), John Hackworth (8-8-4); Dynamo (13-8-11, 50 points), Dominic Kinnear, 86-61-71 at Houston, 113-75-92 overall. Union on the road: 3-8-4. Dynamo at home: 10-0-6. Goals for: Union, 35, Dynamo, 45. Goals against: Union, 37; Dynamo, 38. Previous meetings: Houston won, 2-1, at home on June 30. The Union won, 3-1, on Sept.

Today's top 10 list from the home office, as David Letterman might say, is the 10 reasons why it may not be a good idea for Temple to play at Houston this weekend: 10. The Cougars this year have already defeated Nevada-Las Vegas, the alma mater of Randall Cunningham, 69-0. 9. A former coach at Rice University in Houston, Temple coach Jerry Berndt will get a painful reminder that the real estate values are lower down there than up here. 8. The oddsmakers have installed the Owls as a 41-point underdog.

Age: 32. Major-league experience: Ten years, all with Houston. How Houston got him: The Astros drafted Oswalt in the 23d round (684th overall) in 1996. All-star selections: Three. Career statistics: He is 143-82 with a 3.24 ERA. 20-win seasons: Oswalt went 20-10 with a 3.49 ERA in 2004 and 20-12 with a 2.94 ERA in 2005. This year: He is 6-12 with a 3.24 ERA. The Astros were shut out in five of his starts. No Cy yet: Oswalt has finished in the top five in the NL's Cy Young Award voting five times.

The Phillies are off to a fast start - on the field and in the television ratings. Friday's come-from-behind, 5-4 victory over Houston set an Opening Day rating record, and Sunday's 7-3 win eclipsed previous records for a regular-season telecast. In Nielsen ratings, Friday's game on Channel 17 averaged a 9.9 household rating for 3 hours of play, with a 4.4 rating in adults 25 to 54. Sunday's game on Channel 17 averaged a 14.8 household rating - the highest Phillies rating ever on Channel 17 - and a 32.4 share.