The University of California may suspend its study abroad program in Israel because of escalating Middle East violence, according to a university spokesman. -more-

Dear Ms. Lawrence: -more-

NEW YORK — Ask Seymour Rexite to sing your favorite song and the 91-year-old will gladly oblige, in Yiddish. -more-

PITTSBURGH – The NCAA tournament committee didn’t do California any favors, forcing the Pac-10 school to travel across the country for its first-round game. -more-

Joseph W. Charles, a gentle spirit who brightened the commute of millions of motorists, has died at age 91. -more-

Editor: -more-

NEW YORK — Rosie O’Donnell, in her first extensive public discussion about being gay, says in a television interview to air Thursday that she didn’t come out sooner partly because she didn’t consider it a big deal. -more-

PHOENIX – Billy Beane’s contract as general manager of the Oakland Athletics was extended by three years Friday through the 2008 season. -more-

This is Saturday, March 16, the 75th day of 2002. There are 290 days left in the year. -more-

LAFAYETTE — Barnabas R. Miller, registered Republican, has been called for jury duty in Contra Costa County this month. -more-

Don’t mess with tire pressure -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta touted the administration’s advances in aviation and transportation security Friday, while outside, airport workers and their supporters lambasted the federal government’s requirement that airport baggage screeners be U.S. citizens. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Once again, Mayor Willie Brown has caused an uproar by letting his tongue run loosely while away from home. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Lawyers for John Walker Lindh have sought to block publication of an “instant book” about the American Taliban, calling it “grossly and outrageously false and defamatory.” -more-

LOS ANGELES — California’s jobless rate declined modestly in February, thanks to gains in construction and trade jobs, officials said Friday. -more-

PALO ALTO — Hewlett-Packard Co. chief Carly Fiorina told her 88,000 employees in a November e-mail that talk of a feud between her and sons of the company’s founders was merely “lazy reporting” by journalists trying to sell newspapers. -more-

An independent audit of last year’s school district finances points to a number of serious flaws. -more-

Editor: -more-

cumentary explores the struggle of being gay and Jewish -more-

924 Gilman Mar. 15: 90 Day Men, One Line Drawing, Division Day, The Reputation, SLOE; Mar. 22: Tsunami Bomb, No Motiv; Mar. 29: Limpwrist, All You Can Eat, The Subtonics, The Bananas, Sharp Knife; Mar. 30: 9 Shocks Terror, What Happens Next?, Phantom Limbs, The Curse, Onion Flavored Rings; All shows begin a 8 p.m. 924 Gillman St., 525-9926 -more-

Friday, March 15

The St. Mary’s High track & field team got their first look at the competition in the BSAL, and it wasn’t exactly intimidating. -more-

Who switched the tape? -more-

Editor: -more-

NEW YORK — Amazon.com will pull a listing that says a new J.D. Salinger book is due in November. No publication date has been set for “Hapworth 16, 1924,” a novella that appeared in The New Yorker in 1965 and was originally expected in book form five years ago. -more-

NEW YORK — The clock sits frozen, forever recording a moment in time: 8:50 a.m., Sept. 11, 2001. -more-

Prep scores -more-

As the City Council steps closer to finally inking the General Plan, 15-plus years in the making, some say there are still unresolved questions concerning density and how it will affect the diversity of the city’s population. Citizens will also likely vote on a height restriction ordinance in November, written by Martha Nicoloff. -more-

“With friends like these, who needs enemies?” That is probably one of the many thoughts going through the minds of some the leaders of countries mentioned as nuclear threats (or targets) as well as some of the American people, who didn’t realize that ‘pushing the button’ could occur even if nuclear weapons were not being used. -more-

Friday -more-

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is investigating letters received by Latino organizations this week containing ethnic slurs and a white powder purported to be anthrax. -more-

Today is the 74th day of 2002. There are 291 days left in the year. This is “Buzzard Day” in Hinckley, Ohio. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Home health care worker Claudia Arevalo says her life changed in 2000, when San Francisco enacted its living wage and her employer, which receives city funds, raised her pay. -more-

OAKLAND — The state transportation commission unanimously has approved more than $4 million in state grant funds for an intercity rail station at the Oakland Coliseum. -more-

Stanford doctor pleads innocent to charges -more-

We recently built closet systems in our homes. Our wives helped with the installation and we wanted to share our experience with you. -more-

Q. Mary asks: I recently had someone test my water. I learned that my water at this point is unsafe to consume. I am told that I have methane gas in my water and that some kind of release valve could be mounted on my tank to release this gas. Is this possible and, if so, how do I find the equipment or tools needed for the job? -more-

Many gardeners get through winter by holding on tight to seed catalogs and perusing every page. Others do that, too, but they also live with the garden look all year round to keep them inspired. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The major record labels believe I ought to be very jazzed that MusicNet and pressplay have launched their online music services. -more-

GARDINER — For John Clawson, finding an elk antler in the woods after a long, difficult hike is exhilarating — a rush. -more-

SEATTLE — Microsoft Corp.’s approximately 1,600 San Francisco Bay area employees are in for a rude surprise this summer — a smaller paycheck. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — “Liar! Liar!” came the voices from the crowd. -more-

WASHINGTON — Muslim extremist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was indicted Thursday in the kidnapping and murder of reporter Daniel Pearl, the government pushing for quick U.S. criminal charges out of concern that Pakistani authorities might release the suspect. -more-

More than 5,700 residents and businesses in the southern and central portions of Berkeley lost power Wednesday afternoon when a splice connecting two underground cables at Bancroft Way and Fulton Street failed. -more-

ALAMEDA – Having let Jon Gruden go to Tampa Bay, the Oakland Raiders replaced him with an assistant coach who has shadowed Gruden for the past seven years. -more-

Editor: -more-

Thursday, March 14

A small, fragile woman with close cropped gray hair, Gloria Olivera, 65, quietly waits in line behind the bullet-proof glass at the check exchange on San Pablo and University avenues. Like the majority of check-exchange customers today, however, she is not there to cash a check. She’s there to get a loan. -more-

The shorthanded Berkeley High baseball team couldn’t get much offense going without two of its top hitters as the ’Jackets fell to Mt. Eden, 8-5, on Wednesday at San Pablo Park. -more-

Editor: -more-

Steve Freedkin, a member of the city’s Peace and Justice Commission, leaves for an 11-day trip to Japan today in the latest exchange of Berkeley and Japanese activists. -more-

Local gymnast wins Golden Bear Invitational -more-

Today is Thursday, March 14, the 73rd day of 2002. There are 292 days left in the year. -more-

Every week, Gabriel Gutierrez, associate editor of the San Francisco bilingual paper, El Mensajero, does a “word on the street” column and on the afternoon of Sept. 11 he had no trouble finding immigrants who wanted to talk. Nowadays, readers are more hesitant to comment on the war. -more-

Livermore Lab employee wins -more-

SACRAMENTO — Out-of-state students may have to pay 15 percent more for tuition at California State University campuses starting this fall, under a proposal by CSU officials announced Wednesday. The tuition boost would generate an extra $11.8 million for the 22 campuses. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Fourteen new degrees will be added to 10 of the California State University campuses in the next five years, university officials announced Wednesday. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Republican congressmen investigating California’s energy crisis have accused Gov. Gray Davis of “stonewalling” their review. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis has appointed U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s husband, Richard Blum, to a vacant slot on the University of California Board of Regents. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Navy SEAL killed after falling from a helicopter during battle in Afghanistan has been awarded the Bronze Star. -more-

SAN JOSE — A Hewlett-Packard Co. director who heads a $769 billion investment company said Wednesday she was at first very skeptical that HP would be able to handle the complex absorption of Compaq Computer Corp., but is now convinced HP is up to the task. -more-

HOUSTON — While fire and brimstone are predicted at next week’s Hewlett-Packard Co. shareholder vote on its proposed purchase of Compaq Computer Corp., the atmosphere at Compaq has been comparatively serene. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — After Pacific Gas And Electric went bankrupt last year, the utility’s parent company rewarded 11 top executives with a total of $5.75 million in cash bonuses and stock grants now worth $24.8 million, according to documents filed Wednesday. -more-

Just days after the latest breakdown of contract negotiations between the Claremont Resort and Spa and Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 2850, about 30 union supporters picketed outside the exclusive Tunnel Road hotel early Tuesday morning. -more-

Many of the Cal baseball team’s 14 wins this season have been dramatic, come-from-behind affairs. But on Tuesday against USF, the Bears didn’t need any late inning heroics as they scored nine runs in the first four innings on the way to a 12-4 win at Evans Diamond. -more-

Editor: -more-

Wednesday, Mar. 13

The number of Latino groups who have received hate mail and envelopes laced with white powdery substances grew to 30 Tuesday, which included an incident at the Center for Latin American Studies on the UC Berkeley campus. -more-

Panthers excel at NSIC meet -more-

Editor: -more-

A group of local activists, including high school and university students and college professors, labeled the SAT racially-biased and urged the University of California system to drop the test as an entry requirement in a rally Tuesday afternoon at UC Berkeley. -more-

Editor: -more-

Today is Wednesday, March 13, the 72nd day of 2002. There are 293 days left in the year. -more-

Editor: -more-

The City Council is considering reducing the speed limit to 20 mph for all residential streets. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Mauling trial defendant Marjorie Knoller denied under cross-examination Tuesday that her dogs were dangerous, refused to concede she ever lost control of the dog that killed Diane Whipple and insisted she tried to save her. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is seeking to temporarily end habitat protections for 19 populations of salmon and steelhead in four Western states, which could open the areas to greater development. -more-

Prison’s target ranges closed -more-

SAN RAFAEL — Winnfred Wright and the women who bore his 13 children have asked for more time before entering pleas on charges of second-degree murder and child endangerment in connection with the death of an infant and the alleged mistreatment of the other 12. -more-

VALLEJO — A Catholic priest resigned as pastor of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish after being accused of sexual misconduct with a woman. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — An auction house on Tuesday called off the sale of an extensive collection of speeches, journals and notes attributed to the late civil rights leader Malcolm X. -more-

The lettuce in Arizona should be ready for harvest, but it’s not. The lettuce in Central California won’t be ready for at least another four weeks. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The wine flowed freely but no one tasted a drop when a tanker truck tipped over on Highway 16 east of Petaluma on Tuesday morning. -more-

CHICAGO — United Airlines announced Tuesday that it is increasing the number of daily flights from O’Hare International Airport by 15 percent and will recall hundreds of furloughed employees to make it happen. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Calling it a project whose time has come, the state treasurer and a group of Democratic lawmakers proposed a $6 billion bond measure Tuesday to begin construction of a high-speed rail line linking California’s major cities. -more-

SACRAMENTO — The state of California spent $286 million to buy energy in February, the lowest monthly total since the Department of Water Resources started buying power on behalf of investor-owned utilities last year, the department announced Tuesday. -more-

Antero Alli, the director of “Hysteria” was born in Finland and grew up in Toronto, Canada. He moved to the Bay Area at age 19 in 1972 and stayed for 10 years. Alli also resided in the Portland and Seattle areas before returning to the Bay Area in 1996. -more-

It isn’t fun to face DaShawn Freeman on a basketball court. Even when you’re winning. -more-

Editor: -more-

Tuesday, March 12

Three Latino social service agencies were closed down Monday after their respective mail rooms received derogatory letters accompanied by a suspicious white powder. -more-

Editor: -more-

About 150 UC Berkeley students descended on the state Capitol in Sacramento Monday to speak to legislators about student housing, student fees and the University of California’s system-wide budget in the first-ever “Cal Lobby Day.” -more-

Editor -more-

The wheelchair-bound Dede Dewey has been a precinct worker for the past 16 years. The Berkeley resident with short gray hair and eyeglasses, said she was the first disabled person in Alameda County to become a precinct worker. -more-

Today is Tuesday, March 12, the 71st day of 2002. There are 294 days left in the year. -more-

Hundreds of RNs met on new nurse-ratio law and demanded reform of Kaiser Permanente’s arbitration system, which restricts the ability of patients to challenge managed care abuses. -more-

MENDOCINO — It took a lawn mower and a mild summer day for Jim McCummings to create a pathway to the Mendocino Bay Viewpoint and its sweeping vistas of the craggy Northern California coast. -more-

The Berkeley Police Department is keeping tight-lipped about the arrest of the owner/operator of the Normandy Massage Studio for “suspicion of pimping, pandering and conspiracy.” -more-

SAN JOSE — Two Hewlett-Packard Co. directors warned Monday that many board members and some of the company’s top executives might quit if shareholders reject the $22.6 billion purchase of Compaq Computer Corp. next week. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — The record labels blame online song swapping from services such as Napster for taking away valuable customers. In reaction, the labels have created their own legitimate online services for monthly subscribers. -more-

The Berkeley Police Department reports that a man was shoot twice early Saturday morning at the intersection of Channing Way and San Pablo Avenue. -more-

Editor: -more-

-more-

Monday, March 11

Officials at the University of California at Berkeley are scheduling an open house today to answer questions and inform the public about plans for new student housing near the Southside neighborhood near campus. -more-

Editor: -more-

The National Nuclear Security Administration announced this week that scientists at the Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories have completed two of the largest computer simulations ever attempted and created the first full-system, three-dimensional simulations of a nuclear explosion. -more-

Editor: -more-

Andrew Hintz, a UC Berkeley senior and member of Cal Democrats said, that recent casualties in Afghanistan hasn’t weakened his support for the war. -more-

Today is Monday, March 11, the 70th day of 2002. There are 295 days left in the year. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Some 500 friends and relatives of Daniel Pearl remembered the slain journalist Sunday as intelligent and sometimes clumsy, but always generous and committed to changing the world. -more-

SAN DIEGO — After Sept. 11, a wave of fear swept through this beach town, better known for its sun, surf and laid-back attitude. -more-

officials divided on whether the war is winding down or taking shape -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – J. Eugene McAteer High School, an educational dumping ground where poorly performing students often were assigned, will close permanently at year’s end. -more-

WALNUT CREEK – A Walnut Creek pharmacist will be forced to surrender his license at the end of the month, after his business mixed a batch of medicine linked to an outbreak of illness and three meningitis deaths in June. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – An African American deputy probation officer in Marin County was awarded $1.6 million in damages in a civil rights suit. -more-

LOS ANGELES – As The Walt Disney Co. struggles to rapidly resuscitate ABC, the entertainment giant is looking to use the muscle of its ESPN cable sports network to bolster its flagging media division. -more-

Emeryville Vice-Mayor Nora Davis sat on the steps of City Hall on a recent Sunday morning and offered a preview of the city’s efforts to honor a Native American shellmound as it replaces it with a modern development. -more-

SACRAMENTO — A federal fisheries council recommended an indefinite moratorium Thursday on the use of longlines off the entire West Coast. -more-

OAKLAND — Officials are eyeing a 13-acre parcel near the city’s downtown as a possible site of the new ballpark for the Oakland A’s. -more-

People have thrown rocks and yelled at her. They’ve tried poisoning her dogs. She even ended up renting a small house on a Castro Valley ranch without heat or running water because she couldn’t find another place that would allow pit bulls. -more-

On Thursday upwards of 72 health care workers of the West Oakland Health Council went on a one-day strike opposing a 3.5 percent wage increase offered them by corporate management and today many are still waiting to be allowed to go back to work. -more-

Latte looters plague Chicago -more-