SANTA CLARA SUPERVISOR AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FELONIES: SAN JOSE  (AP) — A Santa Clara County supervisor has resigned from office and agreed to plead guilty to a dozen counts of criminal activity, including perjury and misappropriation of public funds.

The San Jose Mercury News reports George Shirakawa Jr. made the announcement Friday after months of denying allegations that he used campaign and county funds for personal use.

In a memo, the 51-year-old Shirakawa says he plans to plead guilty at his arraignment on March 18. He apologized to his constituents and linked his troubles to depression and a gambling addiction.

The Board of Supervisors must decide how to replace Shirakawa, who was re-elected to a four-year term in November.

Prosecutors say Shirakawa moved $130,000 in and out of campaign accounts and public funds and spent most of it at casinos.

ROMNEY JABS OBAMA FOR 'BERATING REPUBLICANS' : BOSTON (AP) — In his first public comments since his Election Day defeat, Mitt Romney is criticizing President Barack Obama for "berating Republicans" instead of leading.

The former Republican presidential nominee tells Fox News that Washington's latest budget battle wasn't "a success" for the president.

Obama rallied against a series of deep federal spending cuts but couldn't convince Congress to adopt an alternative. The cuts begin to take effect Friday.

In an interview scheduled to air Friday evening, Romney says Obama has been, quote, "berating Republicans and blaming and pointing." The former Massachusetts governor calls on the president to instead, quote, "lead the nation and to bring Republicans and Democrats together."

Romney says it's a job only Obama can do.

Romney has been living in seclusion in California since November.

COPS: DAD APPEARS TO HAVE CUSTODY OF MISSING KIDS: FRESNO  (AP) — Fresno police chief says it now appears that a father has custody of seven children reported missing by their mother and who were found with him.

The Fresno Bee reported Friday that an FBI task force found the children with their father in Sacramento. Their mother and stepfather reported the children missing on Feb. 23 after they disappeared from their Fresno home while the pair were grocery shopping.

Police had said earlier that they had been unable to contact the father, Xa Yang, who had been estranged from his family for three years. Yang wasn't detained and the children were left in his care when they were finally located unharmed on Thursday.