Ex-officer offered deal in alleged scam case
Prosecutors have offered a plea deal to a former San Francisco police officer and two accomplices accused of bilking a Colma Home Depot out of $62,718 over six months.

Hearings on oil spill launch this morning
The navigation equipment on the Cosco Busan was found to be in good working order during an inspection by its manufacturer after the container ship swiped the Bay Bridge in November, an engineer for the manufacturer is expected to testify today.

Youths rewarded for â??changing livesâ??
As a freshman at Aragon High School, Wilson Chan hoped to shed his lifelong shyness by working for a cause bigger than himself.

Cow Palace bandits make off with gear
Thieves with a passion for rodeo gear roped in eight cowboy hats and a saddle worth almost $6,000 at the Cow Palace recently, police said.

Pedestrian fatality on Caltrain tracks delays train service
An unidentified man was struck and killed by a southbound Caltrain just north of the Menlo Park station Monday morning, snarling train service for several hours and canceling a special service train for baseball fans en route to the Giantsâ?? season home opener.

District attorney works to keep $5.4M in border-related grants
Although the U.S. Department of Justice has asked San Francisco to repay $5.4 million in grant money intended for border-related crimes, District Attorney Kamala Harris said her office is working to prove that The Cityâ??s cases were eligible for the federal funds.

Protesters dodge security for risky stunt
Dressed in casual clothing and using baby carriages to conceal and transport climbing equipment, three members of a pro-Tibet independence group were able to evade heightened security measures on the Golden Gate Bridge Monday to complete a risky 150-foot climb up the spanâ??s suspension ropes in protest of the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.

Breaking News
67 Bodies Secretly Exhumed In N.M.
6 Kidneys Transplanted at Once
Disney's New Movies Will Be 3-D
Toni Braxton Hospitalized in Vegas
Consumers Flood Starbucks Site
Anti-China Protest Begins

Ahead of Wednesday's Olympic torch run, about 500 people mass in S.F. to rally for Tibet's freedom.

Arrests In Van Body Case

A couple sought in the December bludgeoning death of their S.F. housemate are caught in Mexico.

Confusion On The Bridge

Voice data transcripts: "Sorry, Captain, I misunderstood the chart," pilot says after Cosco Busan crashed into the Bay Bridge.

Call To Halt Iraq Drawdowns

Gen. Petraeus calls for an open-ended suspension of U.S. troop withdrawals, warning against an overly rapid pullout.

Another Housing Low

Pending new sales fall to their worst level ever, a signal that the bust is not over, an industry group says.

Stray Bullet Hits Woman

Oakland resident is in serious condition with a head wound after a drive-by shooting.

McKesson to buy McQueary Bros. for $190 million
Drug distributor McKesson Corp. will buy McQueary Brothers Drug Co. of Springfield, Mo., for about $190 million. (MCK)

Dropping dollar lifts Levi Strauss sales in Q1
Levi Strauss & Co. reported higher sales and profit in the first quarter ended Feb. 24.

Troubled WaMu strikes deal for $7 billion in capital, cuts dividend
Washington Mutual said Tuesday that it will receive $7 billion in capital from investors led by private equity firm TPG and will cut its dividend in an effort to shore up its finances. (WM) (JPM) (BSC)

Clif Bar Family Winery releases first wines nationally
The Clif Bar Family Winery, owned by the founders of the Clif Bar & Co. nutrition bar company, said Tuesday it's released its first wines for a national audience.

Renowned cult winemaker Heidi Barrett joins Fantesca Estate & Winery
St. Helena's Fantesca Estate & Winery said Tuesday it's hired former Screaming Eagle "cult" Napa winemaker Heidi Barrett to oversee its winemaking. She'll also co-star in a series of films the newbie boutique winery is making of this year's harvest.

Richrelevance raises $4.2 million
In its second round of venture funding, Richrelevance raised $4.2 million.

Emotional Tibetan Protests Ahead Of SF Torch Relay
Hundreds gathered in San Francisco for the lighting of the Tibetan Freedom Torch Tuesday afternoon, after the tranquil arrival of the Beijing Olympic Torch in the city during the pre-dawn hours.

Man With 'Free Tibet' Sign Shoots Himself In SF
A 64-year-old man wearing a "Free Tibet" sign around his neck shot himself late Monday night outside the Marina District home of his former landlord, San Francisco police reported.

Security Restricitions On GG Bridge After Protests
Officials will check the bags of all pedestrians hoping to cross the Golden Gate Bridge for the next few days after seven protesters of the Olympic Torch relay were arrested Monday for climbing or assisting others in climbing the bridges' towers.

Millbrae Teacher Faces Peeping, Drug, Porn Charges
A Millbrae high school teacher was arraigned and remanded into custody Tuesday morning on drug and pornography charges in connection with his videotaping of girls in the main bathroom of Mills High School, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney said.

Transcipt Shows Cosco Busan Confusion In Fog
The pilot of a freighter that caused a huge oil spill in San Francisco Bay was confused about where he was headed and immediately regretted setting off the foggy morning of the accident, according to transcripts released Tuesday.

Olympic Flame Arrives; SF Bracing For Torch Drama
The Olympic flame arrived at San Francisco International Airport Tuesday for its only North American stop amid heavy security, a day after a torch relay through Paris descended into chaos and activists scaled the Golden Gate Bridge to protest China's human rights record.