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In the Nation

Paul offers views on citizenship

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Republican U.S. Senate nominee Rand Paul is stirring it up again, this time by saying he opposes citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are illegal immigrants.

Paul told a Russian TV station in a clip circulating on political Web sites Friday that he wanted to block citizenship to those children.

"We're the only country I know that allows people to come in illegally, have a baby, and then that baby becomes a citizen," Paul told RT, an English-language station, shortly after his May 19 primary win over GOP establishment candidate Trey Grayson. "And I think that should stop also."

The Constitution's 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to every U.S.-born person. Legislation introduced in the House last year seeks to prevent citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants; more than 90 lawmakers signed on as cosponsors. - AP

U.S. disputes Ariz. law on sanctions

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has asked the Supreme Court to decide whether federal immigration law trumps Arizona's attempt to punish businesses that employ illegal immigrants.

An Arizona law on employer sanctions disrupts a careful legal balance that Congress struck nearly 25 years ago, the Solicitor General's Office in the Justice Department says. Lower courts have said the federal law does not preempt the Arizona sanctions law. The Obama administration says that finding should be reversed.

Separately, Justice officials told Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and aides to Republican Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday that the federal government had serious reservations about the state's new immigration law, which takes effect July 29. Goddard, a Democrat, said, "I told them we need solutions from Washington, not more lawsuits." - AP

Roadless-project stoppage extended

GRANTS PASS, Ore. - The Obama administration Friday extended for another year the moratorium on most logging and mining in millions of acres of remote and rugged backcountry sections of national forests.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said from Washington that he wanted to continue to give decisions on projects in roadless areas higher scrutiny while waiting for federal courts to resolve the legal issues.

The idea of preserving roadless areas for wildlife habitat and clean water came out of the Clinton administration. The Bush administration tried to open them up to more logging and mining by giving states control.

Once the legal issues are resolved, conservation groups would like to see continued protections for roadless areas, while the timber industry wants more thinning projects to reduce wildfire danger and insect infestations. National forests in 39 states have a total of 58.5 million acres of roadless areas. - AP

Elsewhere:

The Supreme Court refused Friday to delay ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's trial on corruption charges, set to begin Thursday. Justice John Paul Stevens rejected Blagojevich's request without comment.

Aftab Khan, arrested in Massachusetts during the probe into the failed Times Square bombing, was ordered deported to his native Pakistan by an immigration judge in Boston. Khan was one of three men arrested on immigration charges May 13 and suspected of supplying funds to suspect Faisal Shahzad through an informal money-transfer network. Authorities said the men may not have known how the money would be used.