Argentina's Congress approves forced extraction of DNA from suspected dirty war orphans. Valuing truth over the right to privacy, Argentina's Congress has authorized the forced extraction of DNA from people who may have been born to political prisoners slain a quarter-century ago ? even when they don't want to know their birth parents.

Calif. lawyers reap financial benefits from voting rights law they wrote. Every lawsuit filed or even threatened under a California law aimed at electing more minorities to local offices ? and all of the roughly $4.3 million from settlements so far ? can be traced to just two people: a pair of attorneys who worked together writing the statute, The Associated Press has found.

More than 40 US lawmakers, all Republicans, have signed on to a legal brief opposing a lawsuit aimed at removing "In God We Trust" from the US Capitol's tourist hub, the Politico web site said Monday.

FBI's file on Studs Terkel shows agency kept tabs on Chicago author for decades. Long before the FBI identified him as a suspected communist and spent decades watching him and talking to confidential informants about him, late Chicago author Studs Terkel came to the agency for a job.

Federal appeals court to consider suit challenging Michigan's affirmative action ban. A federal appeals court is about to consider a lawsuit challenging Michigan's ban against racial preferences in public university admissions and government hiring.

NJ teen sues school, claiming administrators quashed a silent protest of abortion she planned. A New Jersey high school student claims in a federal lawsuit that school administrators violated her First Amendment free-speech and religious-freedom rights when they said she couldn't participate in a day of silent protest against abortion.

Same-sex couples say 'no legitimate' reason for excluding them from feds marriage definition. Gay married couples suing the government over a federal law that doesn't recognize same-sex unions say there is "no legitimate or plausible" reason for having a federal definition of marriage that excludes gay couples.

DC ends neighborhood checkpoint program, won't appeal court ruling finding it unconstitutional. The District of Columbia has decided not to appeal a court ruling that found its police checkpoints in a high-crime neighborhood were unconstitutional.

Ten months after Democrats took over the Capitol and the first African-American president moved into the White House, black lawmakers are in control of some of the most powerful positions in Congress ? and face new challenges to using their long-sought influence.

Black lawmakers face unexpected challenges now that they have seized unprecedented power. Ten months after Democrats took over the Capitol and the first African-American president moved into the White House, black lawmakers are in control of some of the most powerful positions in Congress ? and face new challenges to using their long-sought influence.

Black lawmakers face unexpected challenges now that they have seized unprecedented power. Ten months after Democrats took over the Capitol and the first African-American president moved into the White House, black lawmakers are in control of some of the most powerful positions in Congress ? and face new challenges to using their long-sought influence.

Government pressure on companies linked to social media networks is threatening to infringe civil liberties, an Internet forum in Egypt heard on Wednesday.

Maine author wins National Book Award for account of young civil rights pioneer. Maine author Phillip Hoose said winning a National Book Award for his chronicle of a young civil rights pioneer was all the more moving because she took the stage with him when he accepted the honor.

Maine author wins National Book Award for account of young civil rights pioneer. Maine author Phillip Hoose said winning a National Book Award for his chronicle of a young civil rights pioneer was all the more moving because she took the stage with him when he accepted the honor.

A glance at the California Voting Rights Act. NAME: California Voting Rights Act

Every lawsuit filed or even threatened under a California law aimed at electing more minorities to local offices ? and all of the roughly $4.3 million from settlements so far ? can be traced to just two people: a pair of attorneys who worked together writing the statute, The Associated Press has found.

Calif. lawyers reap financial benefits from voting rights law they wrote. Every lawsuit filed or even threatened under a California law aimed at electing more minorities to local offices ? and all of the roughly $4.3 million from settlements so far ? can be traced to just two people: a pair of attorneys who worked together writing the statute, The Associated Press has found.

WASHINGTON To understand just how difficult it is to get anything done in the Senate, a dose of history can help.

De facto leaders in Honduras threatened to close Brazil's embassy for harboring ousted President Manuel Zelaya and moved to suppress dissent with a clampdown on civil liberties.

Courts let 3 post-9/11 lawsuits try to hold Bush officials personally liable for terror policy. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft and one of his hardline lieutenants face the rare prospect of being held personally liable for alleged violations of individuals' rights in the aggressive aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks.