RICHARD FAUSSET

The Justice Department said the measure violates federal law under Title VII, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.

A federal judge on Monday upheld sweeping Republican-backed changes to election rules, including a voter identification provision, that civil rights groups say unfairly targeted African-Americans and other minorities. The ruling could have serious political repercussions in a state that is closely contested in presidential elections.

Luck smiled on state Rep. Blaine Eaton II, who had been forced by law to draw a straw for his seat after his race for re-election ended in a tie.

Engineers hoping to contain oil gushing from the mangled pipe beneath the Gulf of Mexico appeared to make important headway Sunday, as robot submarines jammed a suction tube into the pipe in an attempt to pull the oil to the surface.