NEW YORK (AP) — Frank McCourt has started to cut the number of bidders seeking to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A person affiliated with one of the groups said Friday that the group was notified it will be advancing to the second round. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no public statements were authorized.

The person said the group was not told what other groups had made the first cut.

Approximately 12 groups submitted initial bids by Monday’s deadline.

The Dodgers said in a statement that their financial adviser, Blackstone Group, is “notifying all of the bidders as to which ones will and which ones will not advance in the sales process.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hornets spokesman Dennis Rogers says the club has made an “organizational decision” to excuse center Chris Kaman from Friday night’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Kaman was acquired in a multiplayer trade that sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers shortly before the regular season began, and the 7-foot center has struggled to find a consistent role in New Orleans.

Kaman has started six games and played in 17, averaging 9.2 points and 6.6 rebounds. He is also in the final year of a contract that pays him about $14 million this season, making him an attractive trade target for teams looking for both an experienced center and a large expiring contract that will help clear salary cap space at the end of the season.

Monrovia’s Ellis McCarthey, who is verbally committed to UCLA,  is the highest ranked prospect in the region, ranked #6 nationally by Maxpreps.com

On Signing Day, CBSLA.com will fill you in with the local prospects and teams, with live announcements expected on the 4th annual Signing Day show at 5:15pm.

So far here is a rundown of how the Pac-12 schools are looking with the top-100 players in the country:

Arizona:  Zero committed players

Arizona State : #30 D.J Foster – Scottsdale, AZ, #62 Evan Goodman – Lakeland, Fl

California: #89 Bryce Treggs – St. John Bosco HS ,  #94 Freddie Tagaloa – Salesian, CA

Colorado:  #100 Yuri Wright — Ramsey, NJ

Oregon: #61 Byron Marshall – San Jose, CA, #91 Dwayne Stanford — Cincinnati, OH

Oregon St:  Zero committed players

Stanford: #26 Josh Garnett – Puyallap, WA, #43 Barry Sanders — Oklahoma City, OK, #72 Noor Davis — Leesburg, FL

UCLA: #6 Ellis McCarthy — Monrovia HS

USC: #37 Jordan Simmons — Crespi HS, #60 Scott Starr — Norco HS, #71 Jabari Ruffin — Downey HS

Utah:  Zero committed players

Washington:  Zero committed players

Washington State: Zero committed players

Several Pac-12 programs have no committed players, however #5 overall Shaq Thompson is expected to choose between his hometown Cal Golden Bears, Oregon and Washington.

Victim Rejinold Harry, who was 45, invited Jaime Jezzuel Lopez to his one-bedroom apartment while his two sons were at school and his wife was at work the morning of June 4, 2007, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

After Harry removed his clothes, Lopez took a large glass crucifix and slammed it over Harry’s head multiple times, according to prosecutors. Before fleeing, Lopez stole money and jewelry from the apartment, prosecutors said.

The victim’s wife found Harry’s nude body at 1:30 p.m. that day, prosecutors said.

Investigators ran out of leads until the following month when Lopez was arrested on a warrant for misdemeanor lewd conduct in Garden Grove. Lopez was caught with the stolen jewelry, according to prosecutors.

Investigators acquired more evidence in 2008 when Lopez was convicted of felony theft and had to submit a DNA sample. Lopez was connected to the murder through DNA left on a drinking glass in Harry’s apartment, according to prosecutors.

Lopez was convicted of murder with the special circumstances of committing the killing during a robbery.

 (©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

REDONDO BEACH (CBS) — Redondo Beach Fire Station #1 is one of five finalists vying to win a $25,000 firehouse kitchen remodel. It’s all part of a voting-based contest called Rescue Remodel.

Firefighters at the station told CBS2′s Kristine Lazar that the firehouse’s kitchen hasn’t been redone since the 1950s but say they set aside money two years in a row to give it a remodel.

The first attempt resulted in a leaky roof and a second time, they decided instead to purchase life-saving equipment for paramedics.

You can vote every day via mobile phone or computer. No personal information is required.

For more information or to vote, visit RescueRemodel.com.

Ricardo Aldana, 37, faces seven felony counts of lewd acts on a child, according to Deputy District Attorney Jana Hoffmann.

Aldana was fired from JSerra Catholic High School when he was arrested in December.

Aldana, who also was a boys soccer coach at the school, met the girl at JSerra when she was 13, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors allege he had sex with the girl in his Dana Point home while the girl’s mother was out of town in September.

In June, when the girl was 14 he massaged her shoulders in an inappropriate way, prosecutors allege. He also is accused of exchanging text messages and talking with the girl on the phone.

Aldana is scheduled to be arraigned Monday. He has been out of custody since posting $100,000 bail.

Aldana could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — In court papers filed Friday, Michael Jackson’s personal physician asked to be released from jail while he appeals his involuntary manslaughter conviction.

In a written declaration, Dr. Conrad Murray asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor to release him on his own recognizance or on bail pending his appeal.

Murray noted in the declaration that he has been informed by his appellate attorney “that my appeal will take well over a year before an opinion is rendered.”

“I am aware of the fact that I will have to serve out the remainder of my sentence less credit for the time I have served if I am not successful on appeal,” wrote Murray, who was sentenced Nov. 29 to four years in county jail.

Murray, who will turn 59 next month, has been behind bars since being convicted Nov. 7.

The defense is asking that the request be heard Feb. 24.

In his declaration, Murray wrote that he would comply with any conditions such as electronic monitoring and would live with Nicole Alvarez and the couple’s son, who will turn 3 in March. He also said he would “endeavor to seek employment within the parameters allowed by the court so that I could contribute to the support of each of my children.”

In court papers filed along with the declaration, defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan wrote that Murray’s sentence “is very severe when considering his life history and the isolated and unusual circumstances giving rise to the facts upon which his conviction was based.”

In the filing, Flanagan wrote that Murray’s conviction “arose out of facts that were the result of an unusual situation, a close friendship with Michael Jackson and a desire to assist him through a difficult situation. Dr. Murray may have made wrong choices and not have exercised good medical judgment at times, but he never intended to injure anyone.”

The defense attorney also noted that Murray is jailed under “maximum security” conditions. He is isolated in a solitary cell and only taken out with his hands chained to his waist when he is escorted by several sheriff’s deputies, and that he is “always chained to a table when he meets with his lawyer in the attorney conference room.”

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

Mickey David Wagstaff, 27, was convicted Dec. 1 of first-degree murder, and jurors found true special circumstance allegations of killing during a sexual assault and killing during a kidnapping in the death of Elizabeth Kellenbarger Amirian.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Mark Mandio imposed the sentence after friends and family of the victim addressed the court, recalling Amirian’s life and the effect of losing her.

According to trial testimony, Wagstaff sexually assaulted Amirian while she was locked in his Toyota Previa in a parking garage at The Promenade mall.

The couple had been arguing about marriage plans and whether it was appropriate to have sex before exchanging vows.

Wagstaff forced the victim to stay with him during the two days leading up to the assault, driving to different locations before finally arriving in Temecula. At one point, the defendant bound the woman’s ankles to keep her from running away.

Moments after the rape, a sheriff’s sergeant — in response to a request by mall security — approached Wagstaff’s vehicle and tapped on the window to check on the welfare of the occupants.

Sgt. Keith Knotek said that when Wagstaff saw him standing there, the defendant took out a knife and began plunging it into Amirian.

Knotek said he smashed a window and deployed a Taser to stop the attack, which lasted more than a minute.

Amirian, who was stabbed 39 times in the head, back and neck, died at the scene.

Wagstaff’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Renee Rupp, argued that her client had not planned to kill his fiancee but panicked when he saw the law enforcement officer.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

Sonny Joseph Mazon, 24, was arrested late Wednesday night and booked on suspicion of attempted murder, false imprisonment and spousal abuse.

He’s being held in lieu of $1 million at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to Riverside County sheriff’s officials, deputies were called to Mazon’s home in the 1500 block of Willowcreek Loop about 8 p.m. Wednesday to investigate reports of spousal abuse.

Upon arrival, deputies discovered a 47-year-old woman with serious injuries which she alleged her boyfriend had inflicted while holding her in his San Jacinto home, a sheriff’s sergeant said.

The unidentified woman was taken to a hospital for treatment of major injuries.

She is expected to recover, according to authorities.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LONG BEACH (CBS) — Police Friday were searching for two men suspected of shooting two neighbors in an ongoing dispute in Long Beach.

Officers had initially thought the men were barricaded in an apartment building following the shooting but by daybreak, a SWAT team determined that the suspects had fled, said Long Beach police Lt. Paul LeBaron.

Some three dozen neighbors were evacuated from the area in the 100 block of Plymouth Street and taken to a nearby elementary school overnight while police surrounded the building.

The wounded man and woman were taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, said spokeswoman Nancy Pratt.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

Cher was the subject of the latest celebrity death rumor Thursday night, mostly on Twitter, where “RIP Cher” was trending. The rumor was that the 65-year-old singer had been found dead at her Malibu home.

Zap2It.com reports that the rumor may have started with user Lorraine Star, who retweeted a fake CNN tweet: “RT @CNN: American recording artist Cher dies at 65 years old. Found dead in Malibu home.”

The rumor upset TV reality star Kim Kardashian, who tweeted “Did I juist hear Cher has passed away? Is this real? OMG.” She later tweeted “Can’t believe people would make up a sick joke like Cher died. These people need to get a life! Thanks twitter for clearing that up!”

With the two biggest stars on the U.S. national team facing each other for the first time in six years, Danny Murphy put Fulham ahead at Goodison Park with a 14th-minute penalty kick that beat American goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Donovan’s cross from the right flank was headed in by Denis Stracqualursi in the 27th minute for his first goal for Everton. Again passing the extreme right side, Donovan’s cross was headed in by Marouane Fellaini in the 73rd minute.

Teammates on the last two U.S. World Cup teams, Donovan and Dempsey had not faced each other since May 6, 2006, when Dempsey’s New England Revolution beat Donovan’s Los Angeles Galaxy 4-0. This was only the seventh time they played against each other overall.

Donovan was playing the sixth game of his second loan spell from the Galaxy to Everton. Dempsey has been with Fulham since 2007.

Dempsey, who had scored two hat tricks in his previous three games for Fulham, headed over the crossbar at the start of the second half following a cross by Bryan Ruiz. Donovan came close with a shot across goal from distance.

Fulham had progressed in the FA Cup on all four previous occasions it had been drawn against Everton. The Cottagers were awarded the penalty kick after a hand ball call on John Heitinga by referee Howard Webb.

In Friday’s other fourth-round game, Tottenham won 1-0 at second-tier Watford on Rafael van der Vaart’s 42nd-minute goal.

Manchester United is at Liverpool in one of 12 FA Cup matches Saturday, with the other two games scheduled for Sunday.

KNX 1070′s Vytas Safronika reports Reverend Jesse Jackson sent a letter on Friday to music executives asking them to reconsider changes to the industry’s most famous award — or face potential further action from his supporters.

Jackson requested a meeting with Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Grammys, over the recent decision last April to trim the number of Grammy categories from 109 to 78.

The move marks the biggest cut ever to the awards ceremony by the Recording Academy in the show’s 54-year history.

In the letter, Jackson and his Rainbow Push Coalition voiced concern over the scaled-back show specifically “”when our country needs to celebrate all its cultural traditions”.

But Portnow said he would welcome the opportunity to talk with Jackson and explain the thinking behind the changes.

“I suspect some information and some knowledge would be powerful and useful here, and that’s what we’re going to try to accomplish by meeting with him,” said Portnow.

Jackson told the Associated Press that while he only sought “cooperation not confrontation” with the letter, he may consider potentially calling for a protest of the Feb. 12 awards.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

PALOS VERDES ESTATES (CBS) — Three Palos Verdes high school students faced burglary and other charges on Friday after allegedly hacking into school computers and changing their grades.

KNX 1070′s Pete Demetriou reports police say the suspects allegedly pulled off the job for profit.

The 16-year-old junior boys reportedly broke into offices at Palos Verdes High School over 20 times, investigators said.

The students are accused of stealing hard copies of exams and selling the solution keys to as many as 20 students.

Investigators said key logger devices were used to steal passwords from their teachers’ computers and then logged in to change students’ grades.

Officials were alerted when several of the devices were found still attached to the machines. A cross-check of paper exam records with online records revealed the identities of those involved.

The students’ names were not released because of their ages.

School officials declined to make themselves available for interviews on the arrests and the ongoing investigation.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES – Ron Artest used to be maybe the best defender in basketball. He used to be a pretty great scorer too. But as skills tend to do, he’s slipped as he’s gotten older. At 32, that’s a pretty good excuse as to why maybe the man now known as Metta World Peace isn’t quite the ball stopper he once was.

Click HERE for complete article

RANCHO MIRAGE (CBS) — The desert home of the late President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford has been put up for sale.

The 5-bedroom home built by architect Welton Beckett in the mid-1970s sits on the 13^th fairway of the storied Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

The listing says the single family home on 1.37 acres features 6,316 square feet, 5 full bathrooms, two half baths and a lap pool that the president is said to have swam in every day. The home also has a sitting room for staff.

The Fords moved into the home in 1979 and lived there until President Ford’s death in 2006 and Mrs. Ford’s death last year.

The home is listed for $1.6 million.

INGLEWOOD (CBS) — A public viewing is expected to be held Friday for legendary Blues Singer Etta James.

The visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Inglewood Cemetery Mortuary’s Manchester Chapel at 3801 W. Manchester Boulevard.

A private memorial for James will be held Saturday in Gardena.

The South Los Angeles native died last Friday at a Riverside hospital after a 2-year battle with leukemia.

James, known for such hits as “At Last,” “Tell Mama” and “Loser Weepers,” would have turned 74 on Wednesday. In 2003, the three-time Grammy winner got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The James family has asked that donations in her name be made to the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, a nonprofit group created for the historical and cultural preservation of R&B music.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

STUDIO CITY (CBS)  — Mark Pinhasovich of “The Biggest Loser” fame visited the KCAL 9 studios Friday to talk about getting fit!

Pinhasovich may have been voted off The Biggest Loser ranch, but his tenacity and hard work in the real world earned him “The Biggest Loser” At-Home Winner title and bragging rights for having lost the largest percentage of weight (50.59 percent and 213 pounds) of all contestants that season (including winner Patrick House).

Here is a look at Mark’s weight loss journey by the numbers and where he stands today:
Starting Weight: 421 lbs. (Sept. 21, 2010)
Week 1: 380 lbs.
Week 2: 369 lbs.
Week 3: 361 lbs.
Week 4: 352 lbs.
Week 5: 336 lbs.
Week 6: 329 lbs.
Week 7: 317 lbs.
Week 8: 309 lbs.
Week 9: 299 lbs.
Week 10: 292 lbs.
Finale Weight: 208 lbs (Dec. 14, 2010)
Today’s Weight: 245 lbs. (Current – 2012)

For more from Mark, visit him on Facebook.

BEVERLY HILLS (CBS) — When actress Demi Moore needed an ambulance to come to her home in Beverly Hills recently, she found just how confusing and infuriating the jurisdictions between cities can be.

Moore, 49, was taken to the hospital Monday night following a frantic 911 call that first began with confusion over which city’s fire department should send an ambulance.

Beverly Hills Operator: “Beverly Hills Fire.”

LA City Fire Operator: “Hey Beverly Hills, LA City Fire over here. We got a lady at 9740…”

Woman:  “9740 [address redacted] in Beverly Hills. We need an ambulance here as soon as possible please.”

Beverly Hills: “OK. We don’t cover [address redacted]. Is it spelled…[unintelligible]

Woman: “Why is an ambulance not on its way right now?”

[unintelligible]

Beverly Hills: “Ma’am instead of arguing with me why an ambulance is not on the way, can you spell it for me?”

After the woman spells the street name for the operator…

Beverly Hills: “OK, sir, that’s not going to be ours. My supervisor’s advising me that’s LA City.”

LA City: “That’s coming up in LA City? OK….I will handle it Beverly Hills…”

The exchange over which city fire department should respond to the home took over two minutes. Listen to the audio:

Jurisdictional confusion is a fact of life in Los Angeles and its surrounding cities, where 911 calls made on cell phone calls go straight to the California Highway Patrol, which then has to route the call to the proper agency. The problem is further compounded by many people dropping their landlines, which show emergency dispatchers a physical address, in favor of using their cell phones solely to make calls.

Often, as Moore’s 911 recording demonstrates, even the agencies handling emergency calls aren’t sure about the jurisdictional lines. In some cases, the city’s fire or police department will respond, in others, county fire or the sheriff’s department will answer the call. For freeway and certain highway incidents, the CHP responds.

As for Moore, she is being treated for exhaustion at a rehab center. TMZ reports that Moore’s friends told paramedics the actress was doing “whip-its,” or sniffing canisters like whipped cream for its nitrous oxide. The caller also revealed Moore has been having “issues.”

»RELATED STORY: 911 Caller Tells Operator Demi Moore ‘Smoked Something’

Alex Da Silva, 43, was also ordered by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy to register as a sex offender for life.

In September, Da Silva was convicted of forcible rape stemming from an Aug. 2002 attack on a 22-year-old woman.

He was also convicted of assault with intent to commit rape following a March 28, 2009, attack on a 25-year-old woman.

The jury deadlocked on four other counts, including other alleged rapes. Those counts were dismissed Friday.

Da Silva was arrested Aug. 18, 2009, at his North Hollywood home, and has remained jailed since.

RELATED POST:
» ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Choreographer Convicted Of Rape, Assault

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

KNX 1070′s Charles Feldman reports on the fallout of a California Supreme Court ruling.

The court ruling upheld new state senate maps drawn up by an independent redistricting commission that Republicans fear could give Democrats an edge in the elections in November.

If Democrats can gain more seats this November to the state Senate, they would likely be able to pass new tax legislation without requiring support from Republicans.

As man as 20 state Senate seats are up for grabs in the upcoming election.

GOP officials hope to get a referendum on the ballot to overturn the new districts, but that will be too late now for this year’s vote.

“What the justices are thinking really is, ‘Why should we get ourselves in this political question if it may never come to pass?’” said Larry Gersten, a political science professor at San Jose State University.

Republicans are expected to have enough valid signatures to get on the November ballot.

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa is easy, earthy, elegant and just the right balance of full-bodied relaxation. The resort, just an hour’s drive from LA, OC and San Diego, is located in the heart of Temecula’s wine country. And while you’ve probably done your fair share of gallivanting through the wineries, chances are you haven’t gallivanted quite like this. A stay here is like sipping a fine wine versus downing your glass when the check comes.

The resort is quite unique, as it’s the only winery in Temecula with private villas and a melt-your-worries-away spa.

The scenery and sprawling property is everything you’d conjure up about wine country: vast, rolling hills and vineyards in all directions, warm sun rays beaming, and endless open space. The main property, which is quite impressive in stature, houses the winery, the upscale Vineyard Rose restaurant (think a hint of Tuscany) and the gift shop. Charming floral hanging baskets, fields of budding grapes, inviting gazebos and vine-framed pergolas color the exterior.

It seems at every corner the resort invites you to pause and appreciate the view—and the moment.

A big factor in the relaxing nature of the resort is the tranquil villas—over 76 on site. They share no common walls and come with a fireplace, spa tub, a terrace tucked away in the vineyards and a welcoming bottle of wine. The villas make for more of a home-like setting versus a busy hotel with guests and workers bustling about.

A short walk from any of the villas is the resort pool and GrapeSeed Spa. And if you leave without visiting the Spa, well, you’ve missed half the experience. The three-story retreat has numerous treatment rooms upstairs and a lovely veranda overlooking the pool. The main floor has the steam room, sauna and private jacuzzis. And on the lower floor, you’ll find the fitness center. The spa also hosts special Vino Vinyasa (Yoga + Wine) classes: sipping follows stretching. (You may suddenly like yoga.)

Treatments range from a Signature Massage or GrapeSeed Renewal Scrub to Champagne Facials or the always-tranquilizing Mani Pedi. And you’ll find most treatments have ingredients with a nod to the vineyards. So picture it: you’re wrapped in your cozy robe, semi-comatose after your treatment, sipping a glass of wine on the veranda overlooking the valley and you’re ordering from the Spa Cuisine menu. Oh, and they invite you to nap.

After you call it a day at the spa, just saunter down to the heated saltwater pool or alfresco whirlpool and chill some more.

For wine aficionados, it’s worth noting the South Coast Winery continues to garner praise with over 1600 awards and medals. The Tasting Room offers an Ultimate Wine Tour (includes the Behind-the-Scenes Walking Wine tour and the World of Wine and Food presentation) for $50 per person.

The resort also has golf and balloon ride packages. And there’s always horseback riding. You could also take a stroll into Old Town Temecula, shop and have a bite at Public House restaurant perhaps (a cool gastro pub that uses local, seasonal and sustainable foods; they have some wild dishes).

So cheers to you in this new year to stressing less and enjoying more. South Coast Winery Resort & Spa is an undiscovered gem and fine drink of wine in the Temecula Valley that’s ideal for all of us overly stressed city folk.

Debbie Lavdas is a Southern California freelance writer who likes red more than white, but can easily be talked into either. You can keep up with her and her many writings at DebbieintheOC.com.

Woods moved into contention with a 3-under 69 Friday after three birdies over five holes on the back nine in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, finishing two shots behind leader Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark (67).

“I’ve grown to understand what Sean (Foley) wants me to do and how my body is going to do those things and produce the numbers he wants me to produce,” Woods said.

Olesen made seven birdies in his first 12 holes for a one-shot lead over 18-year-old Gareth Maybin of Northern Ireland (70) and Matteo Mannasero of Italy (65).

“For me it’s very special. It’s not many years ago I was watching them on TV,” Olesen said of the world’s best golfers. “I know it’s tough, but I’m trying to keep playing my own game and do my best.”

Rory McIlroy finished with a 72 after a two-stroke penalty for brushing away sand in front of his ball on the fringe at the ninth hole.

The 22-year-old U.S. Open champion, playing again with Woods and top-ranked Luke Donald (72), opened with a bogey and double bogey on the third after an errant drive and some shaky putting.

Photo Gallery: Abu Dhabi

He rallied with three birdies before a double bogey on the ninth. That’s when Donald spotted the sand infraction and called him on it.

Players are allowed to brush away sand on the green but not on the fringe.

“Wasn’t thinking clearly and a penalty there,” McIlroy said. “My ball was just maybe six feet off the green and there was a lot of sand in between my ball and the hole.”

McIlroy, the co-leader after the first round with a 67, managed two birdies on the next three holes after the infraction.

Woods started slowly with two birdies and a bogey on the front nine. He warmed up with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 15th before dropping a shot on No. 16 after an errant drive landed in deep rough.

“I thought I played well today,” Woods said. “I made a couple putts here and there, but it was tough out there. The greens got a little quicker, a little bit drier and the rough is certainly getting deeper and more lush.”

The best score of the day came from Manassero, who made seven birdies in a bogey-free round.

Woods is tied for fourth in a group that includes McIlroy and Robert Karlsson of Sweden (72).

Spain’s Sergio Garcia (69), Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (69) and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel (70) are another shot back at 140.

Fourth-ranked Martin Kaymer (73) failed to make the cut in a tournament he has won three times.

Much of the attention was on Woods, who is trying to follow up his season-ending victory last month at the Chevron World Challenge with another win. That ended a two-year run without a victory, a period in which the 14-time major winner endured a series of injuries and turmoil in his personal life.

Woods had a bogey-free first round but admitted the greens fooled him much of the day. He seemed to figure them out Friday, making several key putts including a 10-footer for his birdie on the 15th.

Woods said he’s adapting to the new system under Foley.

“If you would have asked me (six to eight months ago) if I would understand the system as well as I do and the numbers I’m producing, I probably would have said no,” he said. “Now I do and when we talk, it’s very simple.”

McIlroy said he saw signs of the old Woods during the past two days, which featured a strong short game and ability to shape the most difficult shots.

“He’s definitely got the ball under control. He seems comfortable. He’s only had a couple bogeys in two days,” McIlroy said. “He’s not making many mistakes and he’s very consistent, his ball flight looks good. Really looking forward to battling over the weekend.”

Donald struggled with his drives much of the day, finishing six shots back. Third-ranked Lee Westwood (72) was another stroke back.

British Open winner Darren Clark missed the cut after shooting a 9-over 153. Others failing to qualify for play on the weekend included Colin Montgomerie of Scotland (147), Edoardo Molinari of Italy (149), Todd Hamilton of the United States (149) and Michael Campbell of New Zealand (149).

© 2012 by STATS LLC and Associated Press.
Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

Bayern said on its website that it had taken fans’ comments into account to determine that many were “very angry” with the club.

Fans had been directed to Facebook to watch the announcement of a new forward on Thursday, and were made to “like” Bayern’s page in order to view the proceedings.

Instead of learning the identity of forward Mario Gomez’s backup, fans were then presented with an app called “The New FCB Star.”

Thousands of fans reacted negatively, leaving uncomplimentary comments on the club’s Facebook page.

SAN BERNARDINO (CBS) — Officials have canceled classes at Cal State San Bernardino due to a high wind advisory that has been issued for the area.

In addition, labs, meetings and events, including the open house for the Murillo Family Observatory, have also been canceled.

Sustained winds between 32 and 48 mph were recorded Friday morning at the university’s weather station.

Operations will continue at school’s Palm Desert campus.

For more information, call CSUSB’s emergency hotline at (909)537-5999 or visit the university’s Web site.

Sustained winds are blowing between 30 to 50 mph in the area, but CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Josh Rubenstein says gusts have the potential to reach 65 mph.