Feb. 2-4: Regionals in the Weekend News

SUPER TUESDAY APPROACHES: Thomas Burr in the Salt Lake Tribune that Utah's primary will have an impact for the first time in recent memory; Jerry Zremski advances the "Tuesday Smackdown" in the Buffalo News and reports that Clinton is confident as the big primary approaches; and Matt Canham in the Salt Lake Tribune reports that Utahns have a lot more of national issues on their minds as they go to the polls.

OTHER CAMPAIGN NEWS: Bartholomew Sullivan in the Commercial Appeal features a former Tennessee student now running Mike Huckabee's campaign; Lisa Friedman in the Los Angeles Daily News reports that illegal immigration hardliners won't support McCain as the Republican nominee; Brett Lieberman in the Patriot News reports on the April 22 Pennsylvania primary; and Ed Felker in the Daily Journal reports that candidates avoid talking about teen preganacy on the campaign trail. Maureen Groppe reports in the Indianapolis Star that Hoosiers gave the most to Clinton last year; Suzanne Struglinski reports in the Deseret Morning News on polls showing race and gender neither hurt nor help candidates; Craig Gilbert in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports on advertising spending; and Lisa Friedman in the Los Angeles Daily News reports on California contributions.

LOCAL RACES: Federal campaign reports released Thursday yielded the following regional stories on local races: Maureen Groppe in the Lafayette Journal & Courier; Sylvia Smith in the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette; Matt Canham in the Salt Lake Tribune; Noelle Straub in the Billings Gazette; and Raju Chebium for Gannett.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS: Tony Batt for Stephens Media and Ellyn Ferguson for the Appleton Post-Crescent report on the progress of the economic stimulus package; Bill Theobold for Gannett reports on a Tennessee lawmaker who opposes the tax rebates; and Noelle Straub reports on the Senate passage of an economic stimulus package that adds disabled veterans to the rebate list.

BUDGET: Raju Chebium reports for Gannett that lawmakers will urge Bush to boost funding for national wildlife refugees in the 2009 budget request.

CENSUS: Marc Heller reports for Scripps Howard News Service that Hispanics are predicting sizeable gains in the 2012 census.

IRAQ: Leo Shane III reports in Stars and Stripes that returning troops are suffering lingering health issues, according to a new DOD study.

NUCLEAR FUEL: Dana Wilkie in the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on concerns about storage of nuclear fuel.

EARL BUTZ: Sylvia Smith in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports on the death of Earl Butz, former Ag Secretary from Indiana.

FEATURES: Lisa Mascaro in the Las Vegas Sun has a feature on the Stephen Colbert painting at the National Portrait Gallery; and Jim Myers in the Tulsa World reports on a new federal initiative for at-risk artifacts.