A license plate that would have become the first in the nation to prominently feature a religious symbol is unlikely to be on the road any time soon after state lawmakers did not include it in a bill Tuesday. The plate, which included an image of a Christian cross, stained-glass window and the words "I Believe," is not in legislation passed late Tuesday that's now headed to the governor. Opponents of the plate said approving it would result in a court challenge because it violated the separation of church and state and gave the appearance the state was endorsing a particular religious preference. Supporters countered that not approving it could also result in a lawsuit. One News Now

Obama praised for rebuking his pastor -- Sen. Barack Obama's forceful denunciation of his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, earned him praise Tuesday for confronting a searing controversy that has dogged him for weeks. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/30/08

The Rev. Wright's comments alarm black ministers in Los Angeles -- Disputing his characterization of the church, they say they fear Obama's former pastor will hurt the Democratic candidate's chances. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/30/08

Roadshow: $4 gas pops up across Silicon Valley -- Gas above $4 a gallon in the South Bay? At a growing number of stations, we're already there. While the average price for a gallon of regular in the San Jose area stood just shy of $3.93 Tuesday, plenty of stations were selling fuel well above the magical and dreaded four-buck figure. Gary Richards in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/30/08

Bee investigation prompts nail-gun maker to halt production -- A small North Carolina company says it will stop making nail guns equipped with automatic firing systems this fall to avoid worker injuries and prevent accidental deaths. Andrew McIntosh in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/30/08

This is, of course, why conservative Republicans and fundie Christians love her. They call her "classy." What they mean is: She knows her place, keeps her mouth shut, possesses exactly zero sexuality, speaks only when spoken to, lets the men do the "real" work, stays so far off in the background she might as well be wallpaper. Here's the bottom line: I think Laura Bush has been bad for America. Not nearly as toxic as her husband, but bad enough. SF Chronicle

A San Rafael minister who presided over several same-sex ceremonies didn't violate Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) rules, because same-sex marriages don't exist in the church, a church court ruled Tuesday. At the same time, the Permanent Judicial Council's ruling affirmed the right of same-sex couples to have unions, a ceremony that would theoretically have a distinct liturgy. The ambivalent ruling - affirming the rights of gays and lesbians to have their relationships sanctioned by the church but not considering them equal to those of heterosexual couples - is likely to disappoint both sides in the debate. SF Chronicle