The Cepheid distance to M96 and the Hubble constant

HST WFPC2 observations of Cepheids in M96 (NGC 3368) are used to find a dis tance to that galaxy of 11.2 +/- 1.0 Mpc. This estimate is based on a calib ration of the Cepheid period-luminosity relation in the Large Magellanic Cl oud, and includes a correction for the difference in metallicity between th e two systems. There are good reasons for believing M96 is at the same dist ance as four E/S0 galaxies in the Leo-I group, and hence we calibrate secon dary distance indicators based on the early-type galaxies, namely the funda mental plane and surface-brightness-fluctuation method. Also the Type Ia su pernova 1998bu occurred in M96 itself and is used to calibrate the SN Ia di stance scale. These methods reach to recession velocities of greater than 5 000 km s(-1) and can therefore allow us to evaluate the Hubble constant wit hout reference to the peculiar velocity of M96 itself. In fact, these indic ators agree well between themselves and hence we find H-0 = 67 +/- 7 km s(- 1) Mpc(-1) where the quoted error includes estimates of potential systemati c effects.