In the Nation

WASHINGTON - A federal judge allowed a lawsuit to proceed yesterday against the private defense firm CACI International Inc. of Arlington, Va., whose interrogators are accused of abusing detainees at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

A similar suit against a second contracting company, Titan Corp., was dismissed under the order by U.S. District Judge James Robertson.

The firms provided interrogators or interpreters to assist U.S. military guards at the prison. Military investigators later concluded that much of the abuse at Abu Ghraib happened in late 2003, when CACI's and Titan's interrogators were at the prison.

The class-action suit was brought on behalf of 212 Iraqis who said they or their late husbands had been abused by U.S. personnel at Abu Ghraib. Philadelphia lawyer Susan L. Burke initiated the lawsuit in 2004.

- AP

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential long-shot Ron Paul, whose libertarian message is appealing to a fervent group of followers, raised $4.3 million online in 24 hours Monday, his campaign spokesman said.

A group of supporters began the online effort about a month ago, and Paul, a Texas congressman, only recently learned of it, spokesman Jesse Benton said. The fund-raiser was tied to the Nov. 5 anniversary of Guy Fawkes Day, named for the British rebel who tried to blow up the House of Parliament, and was intended to mark 365 days before the general election.

Paul's campaign has raised $7.1 million toward its fourth-quarter goal of $12 million, Benton said.

- Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON - A Homeland Security Department employee has been placed on leave for wearing a Halloween costume that drew complaints from other workers as racially insensitive, even as it won "most original" honors from managers at an agency party.

An inquiry is under way to determine proper sanctions in the incident, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday. He declined to criticize Julie Myers, assistant secretary of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division, who apologized Friday.

The unidentified employee's costume of dreadlocks, dark makeup and prison stripes was deemed by Myers and two other managers as "most original" at the party. Myers posed for photos with the employee, but they were discarded, ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said.

- AP

Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan

lost his final bid to delay today's start of his 61/2-year prison term for racketeering and fraud when Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens yesterday turned down his request to remain free on bail.

An employee of

the National Children's Museum in Washington, Robert A. Singer, 49, was arrested yesterday on child-pornography charges, accused of using his work computer to send explicit images to others, including an undercover detective.