Hollywood writers strike ends -- Hollywood's costly 100-day walkout came to a widely welcomed end Tuesday after members of the Writers Guild of America voted overwhelmingly to go back to work. Claudia Eller and Richard Verrier in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Obama Celebrates Trio of Primary Wins -- Barack Obama says his latest trio of Democratic primary victories is part of a new majority drawing people from every region and every group in the country behind his call for change. NEDRA PICKLER AP Mark Z. Barabak and Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times JOHN M. BRODER and DALIA SUSSMAN in the New York Times -- 2/12/08

APNewsAlert -- John McCain has won the Republican primary in Washington D.C.

CNN projects Obama and McCain will win Maryland

Clinton: Still no congratulations for Obama -- For the second election night in a row, Hillary Clinton failed to acknowledge or congratulate Barack Obama after he won the day in dominating fashion. Peter Hamby CNN -- 2/12/08

California Highway Patrol commissioner resigns -- California Highway Patrol Commissioner Mike Brown is resigning after three years heading the department. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Deputy Commissioner Joseph Farrow to replace Brown as head of the agency and its more than 10,000 employees. Farrow, 52, takes over March 1. AP -- 2/12/08

Clinton deputy campaign manager departs --- Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's deputy campaign manager has stepped down amid a string of losses to rival Barack Obama. BETH FOUHY AP -- 2/12/08

Exit polls: Obama stealing Clinton's base -- Barack Obama did well with Virginia Democrats across both race and gender lines, and seems to be eating away at Hillary Clinton's backbone of support: women. Alexander Mooney CNN -- 2/12/08

McCain wins close Virginia primary -- Sen. John McCain has won the Virginia Republican primary in an unexpectedly close race with Mike Huckabee. The victory means all 60 of the national convention delegates at stake go to the front-runner. DAVID ESPO AP -- 2/12/08

Exit Polls: Independent voters break for Obama and against McCain -- Virginia Democratic primary voters who were not registered in the party were more likely to back Barack Obama, according to exit polls. Rebecca Sinderbrand CNN -- 2/12/08

Obama Wins Virginia's Democratic Primary -- Sen. Barack Obama won the Virginia primary Tuesday night and reached out for victories in nearby Maryland and the District of Columbia, determined to erode or even erase Hillary Rodham Clinton's delegate lead in the Democratic presidential race. DAVID ESPO AP -- 2/12/08

CNN projects Obama wins Virginia Democratic primary

Berkeley Flag Burning -- Berkeley is hunkering down for what is expected to be its largest and most raucous protest in years as hundreds of demonstrators from near and far pour into town for Tuesday night's City Council showdown over a Marine Corps recruiting station downtown. Carolyn Jones in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/08

Nunez: Dems Will Fix Budget Solo, If Needed -- In comments to the Sacramento Press Club, the Los Angeles Democrat emphasized that he hopes to find common ground with GOP lawmakers on how to resolve the $3.3 billion shortfall expected in the current fiscal year. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog Ed Mendel San Diego Union-Trib weblog Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/12/08

Feinstein moves to limit robocalls -- U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., today introduced a bill to regulate robocalls, those rather annoying automated telephone calls which clog voters’ voice mail bins before every election. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 2/12/08

Runner reveals lung condition – on transplant list -- Assemblywoman Sharon Runner revealed Tuesday that she is suffering from a rare disease that has put her on the waiting list for a lung transplant. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/12/08

Special election set to fill Lantos’ seat -- Governor Schwarzenegger has just issued a proclamation declaring that a special election to fill the House seat left vacant by Rep. Tom Lantos’ death yesterday will be held June 3 — the same day as the already-scheduled statewide primary. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 2/12/08

Court hears lawsuit on program allowing Mexican trucks into U.S. -- A federal appeals court considered Tuesday whether the Bush administration can go ahead with a pilot program that allows a small number of Mexican trucks to travel freely on U.S. highways, despite a new law by Congress against it. PAUL ELIAS AP -- 2/12/08

Sen. Runner won’t seek leadership post -- Sen. George Runner said Tuesday that he is withdrawing himself as candidate for Senate Republican leader because of his wife's illness. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/12/08

LAO report slams prison vocational training, education -- The state Legislative Analyst's Office found "significant shortcomings" in California's $202 million prison vocational training and education system and offered a half-dozen recommendations to try to fix them in a report released Tuesday. Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/12/08

Yes, Virginia, I Need a Santa Claus -- Sen. Hillary Clinton may not win Virginia today, but she needs to hold rival Sen. Barack Obama well below the devastating 68 percent wins he secured last weekend in Nebraska and Washington. Obama is expected to sweep all three races in the Potomac Primary today: Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. But it's Virginia that's the key. Carolyn Lochhead Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 2/12/08

Blue Cross asks doctors' help to cancel patients -- The state's largest for-profit health insurer is asking California physicians to look for conditions it can use to cancel their new patients' medical coverage. Blue Cross of California is sending physicians copies of health insurance applications filled out by new patients, along with a letter advising them that the company has a right to drop members who fail to disclose "material medical history," including "pre-existing pregnancies." Lisa Girion in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Partisan politics derailing help for state's budget deficit -- Partisan politics threaten the Legislature's emergency plan to slice nearly $8 billion from the deficit through unprecedented mid-year funding cuts and deferred payments that will slam schools, colleges, social programs, local governments and prisons. Steve Geissinger in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/12/08

Walters: Governor's all-in bet just bluff? -- Anyone who has played no-limit poker, or at least watched it on television, savors the moment when a player calls "all-in," and shoves his or her chips into the middle of the table. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/12/08

Weintraub: Report says state shouldn't give guards a pay raise -- Rarely does a government report come along that I recommend people read for themselves. Normally, it's my job to read these things so you don't have to. Daniel Weintraub in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/12/08

Shriver launches aid drive -- While her husband is proposing to cut social service programs to reduce the state's budget shortfall, first lady Maria Shriver on Monday kicked off a campaign to help working families keep more of their money by maximizing tax credits and discounts on their monthly bills. Judy Lin in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/12/08

Speier looks to be shoo-in to replace Lantos -- A special election could be held as soon as early April to fill the Peninsula congressional seat left vacant by Monday's death of Democratic Rep. Tom Lantos. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has 14 days to set the date for an election, although the announcement is likely to come sooner than that, said Aaron McLear, the governor's press secretary. John Wildermuth, Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/08

Some independent votes won't count in L.A. County -- An estimated 49,500 votes were cast incorrectly in Los Angeles County by nonpartisan voters in the presidential primaries and cannot be counted because the voters' intentions are unclear, acting Registrar Dean Logan said Monday. Richard C. Paddock in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Obama favored in Potomac primaries -- But don't count Clinton out just yet. Her campaign sees an opportunity to win some delegates in Virginia. Stephen Braun in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Clinton: No possibility of scandals -- Hillary Clinton, responding to a question about whether there might be a “new business or personal scandal” involving her husband Bill Clinton, said Monday night that voters should not be worried about the possibility. Rebecca Sinderbrand CNN -- 2/12/08

Mexican president due in California Wednesday -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon will make his first, and some have argued overdue, official visit to California on Wednesday as part of a tour of major U.S. cities in an effort to reach out to the 12 million Mexican immigrants in this country. Edwin Garcia in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/12/08

'Job creation' puts biotech in limelight -- As the state economy sputters, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Carlsbad yesterday to shine the spotlight on biotechnology, an industry that is growing. Terri Somers in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 2/12/08

Private overtures led to strike breakthrough -- Studio executives and leaders of the Writers Guild of America were barely on speaking terms a month ago when John Bowman took matters into his own hands. Richard Verrier and Claudia Eller in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

UC criticized for poor governance, controls -- The association that accredits the University of California campuses has given top officials low grades in some areas, criticizing UC for a confusing governing structure and inadequate controls on business practices. Tanya Schevitz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/08

Mechanics sue, say school buses were unsafe -- San Francisco school buses were used to carry children when they should have been grounded because of mechanical problems and concerns over safety, two mechanics alleged in a lawsuit made public Monday. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/08

UC bent rules, review shows -- The University of California pay controversy, which engulfed the late UC-Santa Cruz Chancellor Denice Denton in controversy, was caused by UC's lack of compliance with its own policies aimed at fostering financial transparency and preventing fiscal abuse. Lisa M. Krieger in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/12/08

Gifts to universities becoming significant sources of income -- These days, universities that want top-notch faculty, first-rate buildings and enviable football fields don't rely solely on tuition or state support. They fundraise. Sherry Saavedra in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 2/12/08

School officials 'heartbroken' over budget cuts -- The prospect of losing $4.5 billion in education funding next year — as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed — has rattled districts around the state. But even as school leaders scour their budgets for potential cutbacks, they are mobilizing to stop those cuts from happening. Katy Murphy in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/12/08

Lawsuit challenges state special education hearings -- A federal class-action lawsuit filed last week on behalf of a Fallbrook family alleges that state officials who decide disputes between parents and school districts over special education services are unqualified, inadequately trained and side with districts too often. SCOTT MARSHALL in the North County Times -- 2/12/08

Drug research hampered by dearth of minority participants -- Our bodies are not created equal. A particular lung cancer treatment can be riskier for people of Japanese ancestry. And there's a new heart failure drug that helps African Americans more than other racial groups. Yet as geneticists and physicians delve deeper into differences that could save lives, many doctors worry about a dangerous gap in one of the biggest arenas of medical research. Carrie Peyton Dahlberg in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/12/08

Drought plan likely to pass despite strong objections -- A controversial Southern California drought plan that has divided area cities is expected to win approval today from the Metropolitan Water District board, with strong backing from Los Angeles and San Diego. Deborah Schoch in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Challengers roiling water on new plan for rationing -- A complex water-rationing plan for most of Southern California may be running into trouble, raising the specter of drastically deeper cuts than anticipated throughout the San Diego region during dry years. Michael Gardner in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 2/12/08

Retailers to hold mine to higher gold standards -- Environmentalists want you to buy organic roses, and human rights groups tout conflict-free diamonds. Now, just in time for Valentine's Day, jewelry retailers are stepping up a campaign that aims to discourage the mining and sale of "dirty gold." Margot Roosevelt in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

After rebound, king penguins face warming threat, study finds -- Higher temperatures harm chicks' chances of getting enough nutrition to fatten them to endure the coldest months. Alan Zarembo in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Zillow maps ups and downs of housing prices -- The Bay Area is known for its microclimates. That's as true for the real estate market as for weather patterns. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/08

Mortgage Crisis Spreads Past Subprime Loans -- The credit crisis is no longer just a subprime mortgage problem. As home prices fall and banks tighten lending standards, people with good, or prime, credit histories are falling behind on their payments for home loans, auto loans and credit cards at a quickening pace, according to industry data and economists. VIKAS BAJAJ and LOUISE STORY in the New York Times -- 2/12/08

2 loggers first to meet greenhouse gas standards -- A new breed of loggers has scored the first emission reductions under California's anti-global warming mandate, state officials said Monday. Using sustainable forestry practices, the nonprofit owners of two North Coast redwood forests have met the state's new verification standards for greenhouse gas reductions from timberlands, according to California Climate Action Registry officials. Chris Bowman in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/12/08

Educating Patagonia customers -- Not many companies would advertise the "bad" that comes from producing its goods, but Patagonia Inc. in Ventura is doing just that. Stephanie Hoops in the Ventura Star -- 2/12/08

Berkeley catches flak over Marines -- Under the image of a stern serviceman in uniform, the sign in the window of the U.S. Marine Corps recruiting station extols the traits of America's armed forces: "Smart. Tough. Elite." John M. Glionna in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Berkeley to decide on revoking Marines letter -- Berkeley is hunkering down for what is expected to be its largest and most raucous protest in years as hundreds of demonstrators from near and far pour into town for Tuesday night's City Council showdown over a Marine Corps recruiting station downtown. Carolyn Jones in the San Francisco Chronicle Bobby Caina Calvan in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/12/08

LAPD can't police itself, audit charges -- Los Angeles Police Department investigators routinely fail to fully investigate citizens' complaints against allegedly abusive officers, often omitting or altering crucial information in ways that help exonerate the officers, according to a report to be released today. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Animal shelters are under scrutiny -- Public animal shelters will never look like -- or be run like -- the Four Seasons. But according to animal welfare activists, volunteers and private rescuers, the shelters operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control sometimes resemble dog pounds of yore. Carla Hall in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Orange County man is accused of being a spy -- Federal prosecutors say Dongfan Chung, who worked for Rockwell and Boeing, passed secrets to China. Richard A. Serrano and H.G. Reza in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/12/08

Consumer food labeling suits reinstated -- Private citizens can sue to enforce California's food labeling laws, the state Supreme Court said Monday in a ruling that revives a consumer complaint about the chemically induced orange coloring of salmon raised on fish farms. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/08

Newsom tours Sunnydale with department heads -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom surprised about 50 city department heads and other senior staff at their regular Monday meeting with a Muni bus ride out to Sunnydale, the notorious public housing development in Visitacion Valley. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/08

AT&T to give DSL users free Wi-Fi at Starbucks -- Millions of AT&T DSL subscribers and Starbucks customers soon will get free Wi-Fi access at 7,000 Starbucks locations as part of new deal announced by the two companies Monday. Ryan Kim in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/12/08

Broken families, broken courts: Big stakes, but little voice for kids -- The day an Alameda County Superior Court judge became his stand-in parent, 14-year-old Zairon Frazier felt more like a criminal than a survivor of child abuse. His mother had whacked him with a belt. But inside Juvenile Dependency Court, it seemed like a different sort of punishment. A bank of attorneys argued his fate at a rapid clip. Karen de Sá in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/12/08

Cops owe $170,000 from gun buyback -- When the lines at Saturday's three gun exchange locations snaked around several city blocks and the money ran out, Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker had a choice to make: Turn people and their guns away, or give them vouchers for a future payday. Cecily Burt and Jenna Loceff in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/12/08

Travelers to Europe May Face Fingerprinting -- The European Commission will propose tomorrow that all foreign travelers entering and leaving Europe, including U.S. citizens, should be fingerprinted. Ellen Nakashima and John Ward Anderson in the Washington Post -- 2/12/08