NATIONAL BRIEFS

WASHINGTON: Transportation bill gains

The Senate was poised to pass an overhaul of highway and transit programs that would give states more flexibility in how they spend federal money and would step up road construction by shortening environmental reviews. A vote is set Wednesday for the bill, sponsored by Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and James Inhofe (R-Okla.). Boxer said Tuesday the Senate's bipartisan success should be a lesson for House Republicans. The bill would spend $109 billion over less than two years, far below the level of spending two congressional commissions said is needed.

TEXAS: New facility for immigrants

A 608-bed facility unveiled Tuesday in Karnes City, 60 miles southeast of San Antonio, represents what federal officials say is a centerpiece of the Obama administration's pledge to overhaul the much-maligned system for jailing immigration offenders. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility has heavy security, but officials insist it isn't a prison. The rooms have four bunk beds, a private bath, television and phone, and international calls can be made for 15 cents a minute. The White House promised three years ago to rethink its detention policies after civil libertarians filed lawsuits on behalf of families held at a Texas facility where children were held behind razor wire.

ARKANSAS: Boy shot dead, sister blamed

A 9-year-old girl was responsible for the shooting death of her 7-year-old brother at the family's apartment in Little Rock while their parents briefly left to sign paperwork at a nearby leasing office, police said Tuesday. The father said the girl has high-functioning autism, but it's not clear whether that played a role. The boy, apparently shot in the chest, was pronounced dead at a hospital. The father told police he had firearms in a case in the back bedroom.